The Author's Apprentice
by The Howling Behemoth
Summary: The Author, Ford, takes Dipper on as his apprentice to continue his work. Dipper will learn the workings of Gravity Falls, the world and himself. In doing so, he learns that to save the town, and world, he must control it. Dipper harem. Eventual Wendip/Dipcifica/Tamdip
1. Chapter 1

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'-This story was made in collaboration with 'du911'. Check out his Gravity Falls fic.

 **Chapter 1**

It had been a full day since the Grunkles had been reunited with each other, unfortunately it hadn't been a happy reunion. Dipper and Mabel watched as the twin brothers barely acknowledged each other's existence.

"Dipper, we can't just leave them like this!" Mabel exclaimed.

"What can we do?"

He wanted to help them as much as her. The older and younger twins were so much alike, _too_ much alike. The thought that they could end up like them frightened the younger twins more than anything. Mabel without Dipper, Dipper without Mabel. Who where they without each other? A weird boy with even weirder theories and ideas. A weird girl with even weirder behaviors. No one understood them, not like they understood each other.

Would he grow paranoid and obsessed with his theories, even when proven true. Would she...what would Mabel do?

"We have to try."

* * *

The twins decided to split up, each taking a Grunkle. Mabel would go to Stan so that she could use her 'adorable face' to break his cold heart. Dipper would go to the Author and ask him a few...million questions-and to reconcile with Stan.

* * *

-Mabel and Stanley

Stan was in the living room, in his usual after hour attire. A stained shirt, boxers and his cozy slippers. The man was staring blankly at the television, his mind far off at the moment.

"Hey Stan." She greeted as she stepped from behind his chair.

"Darn it Mabel!" He exclaimed, grabbing his chest to ease his heart. "I evaded the reaper too many times to count, are you trying to give him my address!?"

"Sorry about that." She lied. "I need to talk to you seriously though. Oldest twin Grunkle to oldest twin niece."

"...About?"

"Grunkle Ford." She stated seriously. "Dipper and I want to know your plan."

"Plan?"

"Yeah, the plan to get you two back together."

He sighed. "Mabel, there is no plan."

"What, come on!" She groaned. "You can't give up. You activated a portal that could have destroyed the universe to get him back! Now that you have him, you plan on bailing?"

"It was my fault that he was stuck there Mabel." The man admitted.

Mabel was taken back. This wasn't the man that she thought she knew only to realize she didn't truly know that she thought she knew. The Stan she knew was a man who would never admit to anything being his fault.

"Come on Stan, you always told me you had a plan to land on top after a bad heist right?" She asked. "Well this was the heist to end them all, stealing a man from another dimension."

"Oh, I have a plan?" He admitted. "All that money I saved over the years, I have that buried so that I can retire somewhere nice."

"But...you were banned from every place in America.'

"That's right, in America."

"Yeah America."

"In. America."

"Yeah."

The man gave a tired sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Mabel, I'm leaving America."

"What, you can't." She stated horrified.

"No choice." He stated. "As soon as Summer is over, you two will be shipped back home and I'll be shipping off as well."

 _Maybe I'll finally sail that ole ship of ours._ He thought. _Probably not, that was something_ we _were supposed to do...together._

"What if new Stan let's you stay?" Mabel asked desperately.

"...Then I'll stay." He stated as if it didn't mean anything to him.

It meant the world.

* * *

-Dipper and Stanford

The Author was currently going over some of his notes and checking over his machine. He was less than impressed by what he saw.

"How did he manage anything in this mess?" Stanford muttered as he examined the portal.

The portal, the crown glory of his life's achievement, was a disaster. Stanford found pieces rusted and cracked from poor care. Some had shoddy replacements and others were being held together by duct-tape. Cheap duct-tape. All in all, it was a miracle his brother had gotten the machine to do anything more than blow up. Taking a lot with it.

Dipper had entered the room silently, hoping not to disturb the brilliant man. He was about five feet from the man before he came to a halt. He gave a weak cough in hopes of drawing his attention.

The Author acted on years of honed reflexes and instinct. He threw a wrench directly at Dipper's head. Through his own reflexes, Dipper was able to duck. The tool made weapon was lost in a lot of rubble.

"I'm so sorry!" The Author cried, horrified by his action. _Damn paranoia!_

"N-No problem." Dipper assured, fine but a little shaken. "My fault, should have let you know I was here."

Feeling no less guilty, Stanford let out a small sigh of relief.

"Been awhile since anyone got that close to me without me noticing." Ford stated, more to himself than Dipper.

"Uh?" Dipper began, only to freeze. _What am I supposed to say?_

He had came down in hopes of befriending the man. That would make it easier to talk to him on a more personal level. Then he could bring up the situation on the man's brother. Eventually they could get the two to discuss their problems. He had hoped he could persuade the man to have a talk with the other Stan. Finally the brothers would reconcile and live happily. Or Dipper could end up saying the wrong thing. He could anger the Author, who might actually blame him and/or Stan...ley. He might kick the man out even sooner! Send the children home! He might...

 _Mabel's right._ Dipper thought as he shook his head. _I do over think things._

"You shouldn't be here." Ford stated, drawing Dipper from his thoughts.

"S-Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you."

"Hm, no not that." The Author sighed. "Stan doesn't want me to be near you two."

Ford watched Dipper bring his hand to his chin, going deep in thought. A mischievous smile tugged at the boy's lip. The boy took five steps back and smiled triumphantly.

"There." Dipper stated triumphantly. "Now you aren't near _us_ , and a little further from _me_."

Ford couldn't help but chuckle at the child's clever plan. Back away and he's technically no longer _near_ him, and with Mabel being upstairs, that takes the 'them' from the equation.

"You're impressive kid." The Author complimented.

Much to the Author's annoyance, Dipper let loose another squeal of delight. The boy instantly cut himself off and cleared his throat in an attempt to retain some of his dignity.

"Well I try." Dipper stated with forced casualty.

The boy attempted to lean on the nearest thing in an attempt to act cool. It failed. He ended up miscalculating the distance and falling over. He collided into a tall tower of crates, causing them to shake before falling.

Dipper closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pain of being crushed. It never came.

Opening his eyes, Dipper saw why. The crate was hovering a few inches from his head, covered in a bluish-green that lit up the entire room with it's glow. He heard a sigh of relief and turned to the source of it, and the glow. The Author. The man's hands were covered in the same ethereal-like flame glow.

"Whoa." Dipper whispered in awe. "How'd you do that?"

The Author gave a chuckle at the boy's astonishment.

"Just a trick I learned awhile back." He answered. _One of many._

The Author's power seemed to waver before going out all together. The man was hunched over in pain and let loose a strained grunt.

"Are you okay!?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah." The man waved away the child's worry. "Ju-Just realized I'm not as young as I used to be."

Dipper watched as his Grunkle Ford gained a distant look in his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" Dipper asked.

"Where did the time go child?" The man asked, though the question was rhetorical. "Thirty years, thirty long years gone. I bet I'm so far behind, but I know I'm still ahead. The things I've seen and done, heh. It almost makes the missed years worth it."

"I know." Dipper agreed, before stuttering. " Well I uh, I don't _actually_ know, not thirty years." He pitifully corrected. "I've just been spending my Summer searching clues and stuff instead of, ya know, normal stuff." Dipper began getting uncomfortable. How a mere Summer compare with thirty years!? "Sorry."

"No need for apologies." The man assured. "May I see my Journal?"

Dipper handed the man his book. He watched as the Author skimmed through a few of the pages, stopping on a few and giving off the odd 'hmm' and 'ahh'. He finally closed the book and turned his attention towards the boy.

"I see you've filled in a few blanks." Ford stated impressed. "Mind sharing how?"

And the dam was broken. Dipper told him everything, from the first of his suspicions the moment he stepped into Gravity Falls. The finding of Journal 3 and his first real run in with the paranormal. The ghosts and monsters, the secrets and conspiracies. How nothing was ever truly being answered, just putting a few more pieces of the puzzle on the board.

 _Wow._ The Author thought. _He's done so much, and for one so young! Yet he's barely scrapped the surface._

"I'm impressed wi-" The man was cut off as Dipper let out a feminine squeal. "Ouch." He muttered as he rubbed his ears. "With what you've accomplished."

"Well I wouldn't have been able to do it without your Journal!" Dipper added quickly, beaming like a star student. "I've learned so much from it, from you! It's almost like you've been a teacher over the Summer.'

Now the Author himself was uncertain. "Would you...like to learn more?"

"What do you mean?"

Dipper noticed that the man seamed to slump in on himself, a little of the fire in his eyes seemed to go out. The man gave a tired sigh that only someone who felt he hasn't done enough could emit.

"My _work_ Dipper." He spoke sadly as he held up Journal 1 and 3. "My life's work are in these Journals and it's all I have to show for this ride that we call life. And I just can't give that up." He stated. "There's so much more to learn out there that most people can't _begin_ to comprehend. I'd love nothing more than to continue it, but I can't. I'm old and I can't keep it up...at least not without going into some dark magic. And no one wants that." He looked to see if he had the boy's attention, he did. "But you, you're just like me." Ford stated with growing happiness. "Your smart and curious, but still sensible with only a hint of recklessness. You've got the spirit and best of all, you're young and willing...right?" He paused with uncertainty. The boy could refuse. "I could teach you everything I know." He stated as he held a Journal in one and and let his ethereal flame show in the other. "All you have to do is say yes."

"You...want me to be your apprentice?" Dipper asked carefully.

Ford nodded his head slowly.

 _Okay Dipper._ He thought. _Don't squeal. DO. NOT. SQUEAL._ He mentally demanded. _Say something impressive._

"I have one condition." Dipper stated, his voice unwavering.

"Name it."

"Stan, I mean Grunkle St-I mean your brother!" He stated after correcting himself.

Now Ford was getting uneasy. "What about him?"

"I-We want you to try and reconcile with him."

"Why wou-"

"He has a home here." Dipper stated, cutting the man off. "The people you wanted nothing to do with, he made the, part of his life."

"To scam!"

"To profit from." Dipper corrected.

"Are you defending a con-artist's reason and methods?"

 _Let's try this from another approach._ Dipper thought.

"I think it would _benefit_ you to let Grunkle Stan stay." Dipper tried. "How would you explain suddenly growing extra fingers?"

"I'll just say it's apart of the perks of the Shack." The man answered without missing a beat.

"You won't be able to get rid of them like that." Dipper promised. "You'll only make them curious."

"I'll just put up a few warning signs and some other stuff to keep them away." Ford stated. "Maybe a fence."

"Eventually you'll be the town spook that all the kids will want a peek at. They'll come at all times of the day and night, trying to peak at the strange man and his strange work. Just a word from any of them on your work and they'll start enough rumors to make an Urban legend." Dipper assured. "And we can't forget the adults, every time something goes wrong that can't be explained, a monster attack here or a strange disappearance there, they'll blame the mystery man that lives in the forest."

The Author knew that everything Dipper said was true. He would have no peace for his work. Any attempted explanations would just be the ravings of a mad man that's been in the woods for too long. Worst of all, who knew what they would do to his work? Destroy it, put it on display for some tabloid? There would be no end to his humiliation.

"But?" The man knew that there was more to it than that.

"But look at Stan-ley." Dipper added, not used to the name on his Grunkle. "With him here, running the shack, you'll keep the people at bay so that you can work in peace. This could also bring in a profit to fund more of your work."

 _Clever_. The Ford thought, reluctantly impressed.

Everything Dipper had said was true, but he was reluctant to accept it. Accept Stan. The man who had cost him so many years. Though he couldn't place all the blame on his brother, he hadn't been at his best when he called the man over. He should have saw how low his brother had fallen, maybe he could have helped. Maybe he wouldn't have...He didn't want to finish the thought.

"And what about me, how would you explain my sudden appearance?" Ford asked. "Should I continue to let him use my name?"

Now Dipper hesitated. He couldn't just say let Stan keep his brother's name, it was his identity. He also couldn't go back to his old one, he had faked that death.

"Like you said, just a part of the mysteries of the shack." Dipper stated. "I'm sure a con-artist could make another story for this, won't be too hard for him. Not if he get's to stay."

"...Fine!" The man stated harshly. "Tomorrow I'll take you on a test run and if you pass, I'll _try_ and reconcile with him."

"Test run?"

"Well I need to make sure I'm getting a good deal here." The man stated. "I need to know my legacy is safe before I try talking to the man who would have made it history." He extended his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Dipper grabbed as many of the finger as he could in his firmest grip.

"Deal."

 **Review**

 **I feel this was a rocky start, what do you all think?**

 **This story was made in collaboration with du911. Check out his Gravity Falls fic.**


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'-This story was made in collaboration with du911. Check out his stories.

 **Test**

Ford Pines had a walked into the twins room well before sunrise. He had wanted an early start on Dipper's training, well it was more of a test, to see if the boy had what it takes. There was no doubt in his mind, but he was a paranoid man, he needed to 'know' not 'feel'. There was too much at stake.

It hadn't taken much to awaken Dipper, a simple tap on his person was all that was needed.

 _A light sleeper, good._ He thought.

It was something that was needed in this career that was always achieved, whether it was intentional or not. Some times it was so as not to require and alarm clock, others so no one would kill you in your sleep.

"Now?" Dipper asked.

Ford nodded and turned to leave.

"Five minutes." He stated.

* * *

Dipper and Ford were in front of the shack.

"I want you to pass a simple test for me." Ford stated casually. "This will prove whether or not I make you my protege."

"I'm ready." Dipper stated as he failed in stifling a yawn.

"I want you to go into the woods, continuously head East and you will reach a lone mountain." The man began. "You are to traverse to the top of the mountain and meet the...well, you'll see." Ford stated mysteriously. "There you will then be reflected upon. Complete this, and I will teach you everything I know."

"And if I don't?" Dipper asked.

Standford looked at the boy for a second before he reached into his coat, he pulled out the Memory erasing gun. It had been created by Fiddleford, but used by the Society of the Blind Eye to keep the secrets of Gravity Fall a secret.

"If you fail, I will erase all of your memories involving the paranormal from this Summer." The man promised. "As well as those involved."

Dipper couldn't help but pale at that. This Summer filled the unnatural had been the best Summer of his life! To loose that...he didn't want to think of it. He was sure the others would cope, but he doubted he could.

Stanford turned his attention East towards the rising sun.

"It's sunrise." He stated. "You have until sunset to complete the task."

"Wait, can I get something to eat first?" Dipper asked as his stomach rumbled.

"No." The Author answered. "Also, hand me Journal 3, you are to do this with your own knowledge." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden medallion on a gold chain. "This is the Amulet of the Acolyte. There are few in the world, I give this to you, so don't lose it."

Dipper took the object in curiosity and excitement.

"I haven't read about this." He stated.

"I didn't have time to put that in the Journal." Ford stated as he motioned for Dipper to begin. "All will be revealed in time.

Being stripped of the Journal made Dipper fill vulnerable, but he had no choice. He handed the Author his book and set off with an empty stomach. He had a test to pass.

* * *

Dipper began his march at an even pace, full strides to cover distance but not to tire himself out. He wasn't familiar with the direction he was heading in, but he was determines...and more than a little curious. There was plenty of fear in there too.

 _Where am I doing down here?_ He asked himself. _The better question is why?_

He had been given the destination, but not the purpose. The young detective couldn't help but feel a certain... _excitement_ in him as he walked, it had been awhile since he traversed the unknown. The Journals were kind of like a cheat sheet, now he was winging it.

Dipper came to a complete halt, his instinct warning him that something was wrong. After what he's been through, he learned to listen to it.

There was something out there, something watching him. That was normal, what sent him off was the fact that it was dangerous. The woods had gone silent, that only happens when danger is near.

A movement to the side caused him to twist to see what caused the commotion.

Dipper was frozen, it was a cougar! He knew that mountain lions lived in the area, but after dealing with the supernatural for so long...he wouldn't say that he'd forgotten about them, they were just less...impressive. That was until he was faced with one with no weapons, no Journals, no way to escape.

"Okay big guy, let's be calm here." Dipper spoke, hoping to placate it. "You're probably as afraid of me as I am of-" The beast let loose a loud roar as it's body tensed and it took a swipe at Dipper with it's claws. "Okay, I'm the only one afraid here!"

Dipper, as slowly as possible, began to back away from the predator. He held the cat's gaze as best he could.

The only warning that Dipper got from the creature was the deep growl in it's throat. Though at the last minute, it turned into a roar as it lunged for him.

Dipper let loose a scream as he tried to move back, only to slip over something and fell to his back. He instinctively raised his legs in an effort to protect himself. He did so just in time to feel the sudden weight of the cougar fall on him. He strained to keep the cat as far away, all he was able to do was keep the jaws away.

Dipper felt the blows of the lion's claw, sharp and hot. They cut into his arms and face as he feebly tried to protect himself. It would only be a matter of time until the cat got it's jaws around Dipper and then it would be the end.

Was this it? Was this how he died? At the tender age of twelve, killed by a mountain lion? He rarely considered his own mortality, but pictured himself either an old man, or taken by the paranormal! Not...not like this, before he could even become Ford's apprentice.

He didn't know what it meant to be that man's apprentice, but it wasn't this! Not killed by some over-sized cat!

Dipper grabbed for the nearest thing he could, anything! He reached his good arm out as he tried to keep the lion at bay. He hand reached something, it was hard and that was all that he cared about. He yanked it with all his might, it was heavy. Good.

He hit the big cat over the head as hard as he could. The blow stunned the cat for a second, but that was all Dipper needed. With every ounce of his strength he kicked the cat away and onto it's back. Standing as quickly as possible, he jumped onto the downed cat and tried to strike again. The cougar snapped at Dipper, causing the child to flinch away so that it could untangle itself from under him.

Dipper tried to back step again, though he kept the rock held high to ward of another attack. He stopped when his foot touched nothing, he had reached the end of the edge! He was trapped!

He looked back, just a quick glance, to see what was below him. It was a straight slide down the edge of the cliff, but not without it's own problems. He didn't think the mountain lion would follow him, but he'd be less likely to be able to fight it off if it did. Not that he was doing a great job now.

The lion lunged.

Dipper took a step back.

* * *

When you fall, there is so much space. So much so, that you can't tell up from down. All you can feel is the wind pushing against you and the ground tearing at you from underneath. Though the concept underneath changes as your body is tossed around by gravity.

Luckily, blissfulness comes in the form of unconsciousness.

* * *

"Wha-"

That was as far as Dipper got before he began screaming in pain! His leg. It was broken, there was no question about that. The fact that it was bent at an odd angle and a piece of bone was visible didn't do anything to disprove the fact.

Through his screams of pain, Dipper could just make out the sounds of foots steps heading towards him. Who would be out there at that moment? Was it the Author? Was it _someone_ who could help him? The sudden cold chill told him no.

"Imagine you were dying. Imagine you were afraid and a long way from home, and just when you thought it couldn't get worse." The figure raised it's head to look Dipper in the eyes. "You looked up and saw the face of the devil himself."

Dipper paled when he saw who it was. It was him! No, not him...what did Mabel call him again!? Bipper, it was Bipper. The corrupt part that came into being after Bill had possessed his body.

"W-Who are you?" Dipper asked. " _What_ are you!?"

"Come on Pine Tree." He spoke. "I go and take a form you'd be most comfortable with and you still act like a spazz."

The dark copy began to glow as his body began reshaping and shrinking. He was taking his true form, the form of Bill Cipher.

"Bill, what do you want this time?"

"So the Author's back eh?" Bill asked, ignoring the question.

"Maybe." Dipper answered. _How does he know that?_

"Well you know what they say about maybes." Bill chuckled. "Maybe's just a baby that needs to be loved and cared for until it says yes." He stated, confusing Dipper. "Or beaten until it says no." And the confusion was still there.

"What do you want Bill?"

"I want what I've always wanted." Bill answered.

"And that is?"

"That would be telling." The demon stated. "I have to admit though, you keep impressing me. Who would have thought that the little dipper could beat Leo?" Bill asked. "I thought he'd be eating the little dipper's little dipper by now."

"What!?" Dipper shouted in disgust.

"What, it's science kid, lions go for the groin." Bill stated, as if scolding a child. "You should pick up a book sometimes kid."

Dipper stared at the triangle in bewilderment. "...I am going to ignore that insult and ask you again, what do you want."

"Tell me what the Author is up to." Bill stated. "Bet you were shocked to learn who your real Grunkle Pines was, right?"

"No."

Bill didn't say anything unexpected or confusing as Dipper had expected, he hadn't said anything period. He just floated towards Dipper's busted leg. He had almost forgotten about it, fear will do that to you.

Dipper paled as Bill, while still looking the human in the eyes, grabbed Dipper broken leg in a painful grip. Dipper choked back a scream as the demon squeezed.

"No no no no no!" Dipper begged, but it fell on a demon with no ears.

With a quick yank, Bill snapped the leg back into it's proper position. Though that didn't matter, the pain Dipper felt was white hot and mentally blinding. Had he not been in the Dreamscape, he would have passed out.

"Just because this is a dream doesn't mean I can't make you scream." Bill warned. "Actually, _because_ it's a dream, I can make you scream."

 _No! Not like this!_ He thought. _I don't wanna die!_

 **"Tell me what I want to know!"** The demon roared.

Why, why does he need Dipper to tell him!? Why was he so desperate to find out!? Why couldn't he just...find out on his own?

It clicked like a piece of a puzzle. Bill couldn't get the information because he really couldn't! For some reason he needed someone, in this case Dipper, to _give_ him the information.

Bill was taken back by Dipper's laughter, it was unexpected. He was sure he hadn't broken the human, he had enough experience at doing that to know when it happened. Had he finally understood the hilarity of pain. No, his laughter wasn't humorous, it was almost as if he were mocking the demon.

"I g-get it." Dipper stated through clenched teeth.

 _He can't hurt me! He's a dream demon, he's only ever met me on the dream plane!_ That meant...

Dipper's eyes snapped open as he regained conscious. Once he saw that he was back in reality his fear was evaporated. And replaced with annoyance.

The young detective laid there for a few minutes, he needed to do a mental diagnoses of his body. Pain? Check. Though unwanted, it was actually a good-sign. When you can't feel pain after an injury, you might as well hand in the towel. He began twitching his body from the feet up. Nothing was broken, strained and bruised yes, but not broken. The worst part was that his leg, which he thought was broken, was sprained.

 _No more stalling._ Now it was time for the more important part, his head. While the body was important, most of the damage can be healed. Damage to the brain however...you might never recover.

There was nothing to specific that he could do that would help him prove whether or not he had a concussion, but there were a few tests he could do. He began by thinking of as many important things as he could. His family, friends and. He then began thinking of more practical things such as Once Dipper was sure that his mind was in the clear he gave a sigh of relief.

 _Though if I really had a concussion or any other head injury, I might not know if I'm forgetting something._ Dipper thought as worry began regrowing.

There many things that he wanted to do at that moment. The main one was stay there and sleep, but that was a bad idea for too many reasons. He didn't know if he had any lethal injuries that could take him out while he slept. He was only able to determine that he wasn't shattered, didn't mean something in there hadn't broke, or would break if he jostled himself around too much. Not to mention all of his

He couldn't stay there! Not only was he running out of time, the place was a death trap! No one but Ford had an idea pf where he should be, but he had ended up moving off that path thinks to the cougar. They would be searching for him in all the wrong places. If they ever did find him, and that's a big if, it could be days from now.

Dipper tried to pick himself up, he did so with great difficulty. He was in pain, covered in scratches and bruises, but nothing too severe. Nothing he couldn't sleep off...for a week.

 _Okay, need to get my bearings._ He thought to himself.

He looked around and saw nothing that distinguished itself for him, just a bunch of trees. Looking to the sky, he saw that the Sun was pretty high in the air. Too high! How long had he been out!? Whatever the time was, it had been too long! He began to calm himself, the sun was high in the air, that meant he still had plenty of time to get to where he needed to be.

 _Okay, so from the way the Sun is positioned._ Dipper thought to himself as he stared at the star. _East is...that way!_

Though he had the position, he couldn't head in the proper direction. The trees and foliage were too dense for him to move through, and he was in too bad a condition to climb anything. There was only one opening that he could hobble through.

 _Just my freaking luck!_ Dipper thought angrily. _The only clear path is away from the direction I need to go, and it's covered in thorns!_

It was like a path made for someone smaller than him. The thorned vines climbed the trees and actually reached across towards each other making a tunnel. One that very little light seemed to get through. He'd have to hunch over and feel his way out!

The young detective began trudging off, continued to cover as much ground as he possible could. Though it wasn't that much. He had to keep a hand out so that he didn't walk face first into a thorn. That, as well as his leg slowed him down a lot. Not to mention the thorns that hooked into his cloths and scratched the side of his face. It was all around unpleasant.

 _Don't focus on it._ Dipper told himself. _Focus on what you'll get when you pass he told himself._

That made him feel a little better. The thought of all the stuff he'd get to learn under the Author.

His musings were cut off by the sound of his stomach. It seemed that it thought he'd hated the organ, and the organ was fighting back.

 _Gotta be something around here I can eat._ He thought to himself.

He continued on until he finally came upon something that made him forget about his hunger and, for a moment, his pain. It was a large chasm of sorts in the ground. On the other end was more woods. He tried to look into it to see how deep it was. There was only darkness.

"Another bottomless pit?" He asked himself.

Dipper looked at the gorge before him, it was the only thing standing before him and his task. He was sure he could have made the leap if he wasn't so banged up, now...not so much. If he made the jump, then he _could_ be home free. Though he didn't know what was on the other side. If he failed, he was sure he'd be dead.

The twelve year old paced back and forward, well...he paced once before his leg flared with pain. He just stood there and sighed.

 _...It's not like I can go back._ He thought to himself.

You can't live if you're afraid to die. He had heard that somewhere, who knew that he'd be following the meaning. Actually, he should have expected it with the way he lived over the Summer.

He began taking several steps back, taking a tense breath, he charged for the gorge. Just as he reached the edge, he tried to push off with all he had. Pain shot through his sprained leg causing him to stumbled, he was too close to the edge to stop. No choice, he still attempted the leap.

As he reached the center of the gorge he closed his eyes. If he made it to the other side, then he'd crash into the ground. If he didn't...well he had a good run.

He waited for the end. Or pain, whichever came first.

It took him a full minute to realize he felt nothing, except the pain he was already in. Then he noticed the strangest sounds he could possible hear at the moment. Clapping. Someone was there and they were clapping!

"Well done Dipper." Ford's voice reached his ears.

Dipper opened his eyes to see the man in front of him, standing before the bottomless pit. Dipper himself was engulfed in the ethereal flames he saw the man command the day before, it held him in the air over the pit.

Dipper was moved towards Ford, where the man released him from his power. Dipper landed on the ground in a heap. Ford said nothing for a moment, he just handed the boy a bowl. He sat across from Dipper and began eating from a bowl with the same contents.

"Arg, it tastes like onions and bananas!" Dipper gagged.

"That's because it is." Ford chuckled as he finished his bowl. "Yum."

The child sat there with the bowl in his hand, though his mind was else where.

Did he pass? No, he was too far off course and nowhere near the lone mountain Ford had mentioned. Did he fail? If so, why didn't the man just erase his memories already. No, the sun was still up, it would be for some time. What was going on?

"What's going on?" Dipper asked.

"Thought you could use a break." Ford answered.

"A break?" He questioned.

"Yes, a break." Ford repeated. "Time used to rest and think."

"What was the point of this...test?" Dipper asked.

Ford leaned back as he thought of the best way to answer the child. Direct and truthful was his method, the opposite of his brother.

"Fear, I needed to know that you could overcome it." He answered.

"...Really, after everything I told you I did over the summer!?" Dipper asked in growing frustration.

Ford raised a hand in a disarming manner, trying to placate the child.

"What you tell me is different from what you show me." He stated. "Plus, you never actually did any of that alone, you were with someone you trusted. To pass this test, you needed to feel total helplessness, despair would be the proper word."

"But why?" Dipper asked.

"Dipper, what do you know about the chakras?"

 _...Nothing by Naruto would be suitable for right now._ The child thought. "Nothing."

"The body is full of nexuses of metaphysical or biophysical energy." Ford explained. "Seven in total, what you went through was the first. The Earth chakra located at the base of the spine, it deals with survival, and is blocked by fear. You've proven yourself out there."

"So this whole test..."

"It was a cover up for the real test." Ford admitted. "I couldn't have you knowing you would be taking a test on fear, you'd be prepared. Through unlocking them one can enter enlightenment."

"So this was a spiritual guide?"

"In a manner." Ford stated. "When one becomes enlightened, he had a understanding of himself and that of the world around him. When one understands something, one can control it...to a degree."

"So I'm learning to control the world?"

"No." The man stated. "No one can control the world. What I'm going to teach you is to leave the boundaries of the world behind."

"Transendence?" To existence beyond the physical world.

"Exactly!" Ford exclaimed. "This world of ours has rules that can be bent. And what can be bent, can be broken!" He motioned to the medallion that Dipper had honestly forgotten about. "That will help you focus it and once you finish, you will be able to accomplish feats you've never thought possible."

"After this Summer in Gravity Falls, there's little I don't think possible." Dipper stated.

"Exactly."

"So why threaten to erase my memories?"

"I needed to know if you had it in you." Ford answered. "I needed to know if you had the drive for it."

"The drive?"

"Yes. Not just curiosity or an obsession, but a need!" He stated. "The need to know and understand, while letting nothing detour you. Not horrors, not pleasures, not even a promise for an easy way. Not even your own curiosity. You had a task and a goal and you went through with it."

"Yeah well..." Dipper blushed proudly. "I love it."

A knowing smile formed on the man's face. "I bet the idea of quitting never passed your mind, did it?" Ford asked though he didn't wait for an answer. "You _can't_ give this up can you, you'd have rather died than try living a normal life."

Since his first adventure he never considered a normal life. He had actually considered running away to get a life as an adventurer. Normal life? Go to school, graduate, get a job, start a family-it was all so...normal! So mundane! It suited some people, not him.

"Then why send Bill?" Dipper asked. "Wasn't the lion enough, you had to send a dream demon!?"

"Bill, Bill Cipher?" Ford asked, Dipper nodded. "Dipper, I didn't send Bill."

 **Review-Give me an honest opinion, I feel I my have rushed this one, and idea's if you want.**

 **I'd like for you all to check out my other Gravity Falls fic, 'Nowhere'.**

 **I'm using the chakra concept idea from Avatar: TLAB, which is based off of Buddhism. I do not mean to offend anyone or their religion which is why I give you a heads up now.**


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'-This story was made in collaboration with du911. Check out his Gravity Falls fics.

 **Regrets**

"This spot is perfect." Ford stated as he sat down and motioned for Dipper to do the same. "We will be opening your next chakra, the water chakra."

"Why this spot?" Dipper asked, they were right behind the shack with non source of water near by.

"It's going to rain in one minute." Ford answered. "I want us to get the full brunt of it, no trees or covers."

Dipper looked at the sky for any signs of the upcoming rain. It looked nice, a few clouds here and there, but no signs of rain.

"One minute?" Dipper questioned.

"Give or take a few second." Ford shrugged.

Dipper and Ford stood there, waiting for the promised rain. A minute passed, Dipper opened his mouth to speak...only to feel something fall onto his hat. Looking up, he was greeted with a face full of water as the rain came down fast. And steadily building.

Dipper looked at the man in astonishment, while the Author just chuckled. To him it was science, but to the kid it was wonder.

"...Wouldn't the pool or a lake have worked?" Dipper asked.

"Not for this, for this we need the tears of the world." Ford stated sadly. "To remind us that even our very world can be sad."

Dipper was taken back by the sudden tone shift.

"This next chakra is deals in pleasure, but is blocked by guilt." Ford stated. "Dipper, what do you enjoy most in life?"

"That's easy." Dipper answered. "Adventuring."

"Now what is your biggest guilt?" Ford asked. "Know that these two are intertwined."

Dipper opened his mouth to answer, only to hesitate. What _was_ his biggest guilt? So far anything he did involving the Journals that he would feel guilty about have been settled.

"I...don't know." Dipper stated.

"Well meditate on it." Ford advised as he began standing. "It take can people years to open a single chakra, don't expect them all to come to you in one go."

Dipper noticed the man began preparing to leave.

"Wait, aren't you going to stay?"

"Are you nuts, it's raining." Ford stated.

With that, Ford left Dipper in the rain to search for his guilt.

* * *

"Hey Grunkle Stan." Mabel called.

"Yes?" The two Stans answered.

Mabel looked between the two of them.

"I mean Stan 1." She corrected.

"Yes?" They answered as one again.

This time they looked at each other in confusion that turned into a glare.

"What, I'm obviously Stan 1." Ford stated. "I'm the oldest."

"Yes, but she's known me the longest." Stan retorted. "Even if it was in disguise as you."

"Who ever an tell me where Dipper is get's to be Stan 1." Mabel stated.

"...Out back." Ford answered.

"Thank you." Mabel stated as she pulled out a note pad with their names on it. "That's one-nothing Stan 2." Mabel stated as she put a tally under Ford. "Better catch up, or we'll see who's alpha-twin."

With nothing else to say, she left the brothers alone.

Ford sent Stan a smug look as he marked an invisible tally in the air.

* * *

"Hey bro-bro!" Mabel shouted.

Dipper nearly jumped from his skin when his sister had snuck up on him. He had been so deep in thought that a stumbling drunk could have snuck up on him.

"Mabel, what're you doing out here?" He asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." She countered. "So I will, what're you doing out here?"

"I...uh, a little soul searching." Dipper admitted.

"Since when are you all philosophical?" Mabel asked.

"Since when did you know what philosophical meant?" Dipper asked. "I thought I was the smart one."

"Well now I am the cute and smart one." She stated. "You can be the boy."

"Remind me to be offended later." Dipper stated as he looked at the sky.

Mabel followed his line of sight but couldn't see what he was looking at. She looked back at him, at his eyes, and still didn't understand. His eyes were glazed over from whatever he was thinking so deeply about...or he wasn't blinking the rain water away.

Mabel said nothing as she sat down beside her brother.

"You don't have to sit out here with me Mabel." Dipper stated.

"I know, but I want to." She smiled as she leaned against him

Dipper smiled at his sister, that was Mabel, always there for him. She never let him face anything alone. Even if she couldn't understand it. She just tagged along, even without being asked to and smiled all the way through. Even when...she got hurt...because of him.

That was it! His pleasure was the adventures, but his guilt was putting Mabel in danger with them. Ever since he found the Journals, their life had been one crazed day after another. Usually, but not always, because of him. She would never complain, she'd just follow him.

His elation at the discovery brought him down several pegs. Was that what he was doing? Putting his sister in danger just so he could get a few questions answered? Questions that so few others really cared about.

"Mabel, I think-I think I found what I was looking for." He stood and pulled her along with him. "Let's get you inside."

* * *

The twins made their way into the shack only to part ways to dry themselves and-

"Scrapbook-ertunity!" Mabel shouted as she pulled her brother into a half hug and pulled the camera out with her other hand. She nearly blinded Dipper with the flash, but he didn't mind.

Mabel began flipping through her scrap book, full of memories for her to cherish for the rest of her life. She wanted to find the perfect place for this picture. She finally stopped on one of the pages dedicated to him, it was of his single chest hair.

Dipper's mind was frozen at the hair before him. It brought back memories, and feelings he'd rather have been left buried.

"Hey Mabel, I'm going to head out for awhile." Dipper stated.

His sister stood to join him. "Where, I'll tag along."

"No, that's okay." He said casually. "I've got some...things I need to take care of. I'll see you later."

He didn't want to drag her into this. It could be dangerous and he just couldn't put her into any more danger.

"Oh...okay." Mabel stated confused.

She was confused by her brother, he never turned her away. Not when they could spend time together.

* * *

Dipper was skulking through the woods, ignoring the rain and mud as best he could. He had a destination and a purpose and he needed to get it done as quickly as he possibly could. He actually felt bad about not doing this sooner.

 _Should have brought an umbrella._ He thought to himself.

Dipper looked up, he had reached his destination. The cave of the Multi-Bear. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves, then he entered the cave.

"Hello." Dipper called, his voice echoing. "Mr. Multi-Bear?"

Dipper was greeted by the sound of a thunderous roar. It came from a large mass to his side.

"Another challenger!?" It roared. "Leave now or..." The beast gave pause as one of the heads began sniffing before growling into the main head. "Destructor?"

"Actually uh, it's Dipper." He stated as he awkwardly rubbed his arm.

"Why have you returned?" The bear asked. "Have you decided to rejoin the Manotaurs?"

"No!" Dipper stated frantically. "Just the opposite in fact." He assured. "I came to apologize."

"Apologize, for what?"

"For almost...you know."

"Killing me?"

Dipper lowered his head in shame, the word hung heavy on the boy. "Yeah."

"Why now?" The Multi-Bear asked.

"At first...I just wanted to put it all behind me." Dipper answered sadly. "But something like that shouldn't be swept under the rug to be forgotten."

The Mutli-Bear moved closer to Dipper letting them get a better look at each other. Dipper noticed a limp in the beast as he moved, once in the light he felt like heaving. Multi-Bear was covered in wounds! He was missing patches of fur and the spots were still red from where they had been torn out. One of his heads were hanging weakly and had a broken jaw. Several were missing teeth,

"You're hurt!" Dipper exclaimed.

The Multi-Bear looked down at the child before him and smiled. To the bear, he was more man than any of those neanderthals that hated him simply because of his ways. The last human to earn this type of respect from him was...her!

"You're forgiven." He stated kindly.

Dipper was shocked by the statement. "Wha-just like that?"

"Just like that." Multi-Bear stated with a smile.

"But...but..." He just

"Is something wrong?"

"How could you forgive me like that!?" Dipper asked almost outraged. "I came into your _home_! Attacked you for no good reason and would have _killed_ you! The only thing that saved you was a _song_! A song by ' _BABBA_ '!" The boy exclaimed. "I...I..."

"Are you looking for forgiveness from me or from yourself?" The creature asked knowingly.

Dipper looked at the bear with tear filled eyes before he lowered his gaze again. He couldn't forgive himself, not that easily.

"I was almost a m-murderer." Dipper whispered. "Because of stupid pride."

The bear made his way near Dipper and sat down. He patted the boy with his massive paw as comfortingly as possible. This still nearly knocked Dipper to the ground.

"Dipper, you-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the sound of charging hooves. Dipper saw a look of concern flash across the Mult-Bears face. They both ran out of the cave to see dozens of Manotaurs standing there with obvious intent written on their faces.

"Chutzpar?" Dipper called. "What're you all doing here?"

"We've have come to do what you could not!" The Manotaur exclaimed. "We have come to slay the Multi-Bear! Join us Destructor, be a brother again!"

"Why!?" Dipper asked. "What's so wrong with him?"

"He's an affront to what it means to be a man!"

"And this is what it means to be a man!?" He asked. "Beating and killing what you don't like?"

"A man takes what he wants and let's nothing stand in his way!" The creature shouted. "He dominates everything!"

"Leaderaur! Leaderaur! Leaderaur!"

Dipper listened to what they said and couldn't believe it. This was what he once wanted to be a part of?

"When did you all become cowards!?" Dipper asked loudly.

The question silenced every Manotaur, even the Multi-Bear was stunned by the question. The silence was replaced by shouts of outrage by the Manotaurs.

"We are men!" Leaderaur exclaimed. "Men fear nothing!'

"Then what's this?" Dipper asked as he motioned to the display before him. "A group of Manotaurs here to kill one Multi-Bear. Only a cowards would seek strength in numbers to beat a single being. You're using your men to back you up just as you did me! A twelve year old boy."

"I could crush the Multi-Bear with my bear hands just as easily as I could crush you!" Leaderaur declared.

"Then prove it!" Dipper declared. "Here and now in front of all your Manotaur brothers!"

Dipper didn't know what he was thinking, just that it was what he needed. If he could convince the Manotuars to leave the Multi-Bear alone, then he could forgive himself. It wouldn't be that hard to convince them to fight, it was their nature. It was all they understood. If not, he could provoke them all with their masculinity.

He didn't need to, Leaderaur turned toward Dipper in a rage.

"A duel it is!" The leader shouted. "Choose your weapon!"

A weapon?

"The spear...I guess?" It was the only weapon he could say he had experience using, even if it was only once. "And yours?"

The weapon landed mere inches from him, impaling the ground. He jumped in fright as if came close to impaling him.

"My weapons are these!" He declared as he held up his fists.

Dipper raised his spear protectively while the leader of the Manotaurs snorted like a bull. If a bull could snort flames. The manotaur was bigger and stronger than any other of his kind, but Dipper could use that to his advantage. He was smaller and more agile, harder to hit...as long as he remembered the Manotaur's speed. Plus, Dipper was smarter than any Manotaur.

Leaderaur made the first move by charging Dipper. Dipper ran forward as well, but not in a blind charge. Once Dipper was in range of the Manotaur's giant hands he fell to his knees and slid by him unharmed. His opponent tried turning himself to keep an eye on Dipper. However his weight and momentum carried over forcing him to trip over in the mud.

Dipper jumped onto the large creature's chest and pointed the spear at him.

"Submit!" Dipper ordered.

The Manotaur glared at Dipper with deep red eyes and snorted. Dipper dived from the beast an into the mud to avoid the fire from the Manotaur's nostrils. He had forgotten about that.

Leaderaur stood to his full height and tried to back hand Dipper who rolled to the side just in time. The arm continued on and struck a tree, tearing it from it's roots and knocking it into another tree, shattering them both.

Dipper froze at the sheer force of the Manotaur's callous swing. He knew that he was strong, but not to this degree. He took a hard breath to calm himself, he wasn't afraid, not of dying anyway. He was afraid he'd loose and the Multi-Bear would die.

"Don't do this Dipper!" Mult-Bear shouted.

That was how Dipper made his mistake, he had taken his eyes off of Leaderaur. His only warning was the loud roar the Manotaur made as he charged the child. It was a simple swat from the Manotaur's mighty hand, but that was all it took.

Dipper may have been impressive with his adventures and his brains, but he was still a twelve year old child. His body was fragile and he had taken a tree shattering blow from a colossal beast.

The boy went flying into the air before coming down painfully to the ground. He landed in a limp heap and was still. The only sign of life was his weak breathing.

"Dipper!"

Leaderaur was taken by surprise when the Multi-Bear attacked him from behind. The force of the blow sent him barreling into the ground as the beast rushed towards the child.

Multi-Bear nealt down to examine the child and too his shock, saw that there were no fatal injuries. There were some broken bones and there would definitely be scars and bruising, but nothing...crippling.

"Coward!" Leaderaur shouted, his brothers soon shouted in agreement.

"Stop!" Multi-Bear shouted as he limped toward Dipper. "You can't kill him!"

"Why no?" Leaderaur snorted flames of disinterest. "This boy-"

"Exactly, this _boy_." Multi spoke quickly. "You wouldn't want to be known as the Manotaur who kills defenseless boys, would you?"

Leaderaur snorted again, this time in anger and conflict. He really wanted to kill the child. The Multi-Bear was using words to get the Manotaur leader to change his mind. This annoyed him, he had no use for words. They couldn't hit anyone and they couldn't block a punch. That was why the weak used them, to hide behind like cowards without muscles.

But they were none the less true. He could see and hear the murmurs of agreement between the others. If he killed Dipper, he'd lose the respect he worked for if he crushed the boy now. Killing the weak didn't make you strong, crushing the strong made you strong.

"Fine." He stated before a cruel smile formed on his lips. "But you are no boy."

The Multi-Bear looked between the Manotaur leader and the rest of the group, their was no escape.

"...Will you allow a dying creature his last words?" Multi asked in acceptance.

"A man can't deny such a request."

Multi leaned down towards the broken child. "Dipper remember this." Multi whispered. "A strong man stands up for himself, a stronger man stands up for others."

The last thing Dipper heard from the beast was goodbye before he blacked out. The pain had become too much for him to handle, thought it was a blessing in disguise. He wouldn't have to witness what came next.

It would be long after sunset before he finally awoke.

* * *

Dipper trudged back to the shack, beaten and bruised, he felt lower than ever. He could deal with his broken body, that would heal. He couldn't deal with his broken spirit.

 _He's dead._ Dipper thought.

This was new to him. In all his adventures, no one had died! Sure they came close, but they usually saved the day with some unorthodox miracle. There was no miracle.

He had gone to the bear in hopes of making things right. And he had been useless. A minor distraction and he had failed at that. The Multi-Bear was dead.

He had wanted to save the beast and nearly died in the process. If not for the beast saving him, at the cost of his own life, they _both_ might be dead.

"Hey Dipper!" A voice shouted.

He barely acknowledged his sister. The young detective just continued to trudge towards the shack at a hobbled pace.

 _What if Mabel had been there?_ Dipper thought. He didn't even want to think of what could have happened to her. It only re-enforced his earlier beliefs.

Failing to help the Multi-Bear would forever be his biggest regret, followed by the fact that he himself almost killed the beast. Both these paled in comparison to the possibilities of what could happen to Mabel.

"Dipper!" Mabel shouted, this time in worry. "What happened!?"

It seemed that she finally noticed the state that he was in. She ran to him and began trying to check him over all while calling for their Grunkles who rushed out.

Dipper wrapped his arms tightly around his sister, shocking her by the action. It wasn't their usual sibling hug, it was...painful for him, and that scared her.

Dipper was sure of one thing, he could never let Mabel get involved in the supernatural again.

 **Review-Give me an honest and constructive input.**

 **I tried to get this emotional, did I succeed?**


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'

 **Offer and demand**

Dipper sat in the attic that he and Mabel shared.

Right now he was alone, recovering. He was to remain in the attic until he recovered from his ordeal, or until he told the others what had happened.

They were very worried about him, he could tell. He could hear them down stair. He could hear them now.

"So he just sits there?" A concerned voice asked, Wendy

"Yeah." Another voice answers, Mabel. "He won't talk about what happened, eats only a few bites of food and he's not reading his Journal."

"He's recovering." Ford states.

"From what!?" Stan demanded. "What happened to him!?"

"...I don't know." Ford admitted.

No one knew, Dipper had kept what happened to him a secret from everyone, even Ford. They knew that he had been hurt physically by something unnatural, they've had too many dangerous run-ins for it to be anything else. But they knew that wasn't all, he'd have bounced back, injuries not withstanding, if that had been all. They didn't know the guilt he felt.

He couldn't tell them.

"So you feeling better broseph?" Mabel asked, bringing him from his thoughts.

"Yeah, doing fine." Dipper lied as he laid in his bed only to flinch. "Just exhausted...and in pain."

 _Should have gone to the hospital._ Dipper thought.

"Nothing a goodnight sleep on Mabel-aid can't cure." His sister declared.

"What?" Was all he got out before she pulled a cup from under her bed.

"Here, drink this." She ordered.

"Uh?" There was at least eight reasons to be worried about the drink. "What is it?"

"Less talking, more drinking!" She ordered.

Dipper took the drink and sniffed it, no smell. He gave it an experimental sip. It was a strange mix, he could taste pit soda and some kind of medicine. He chugged it all and turned to Mabel.

"There." He stated. "I finished it."

"Good, now sleep." Mabel spoke.

Just as the words left her mouth, Dipper began having a reaction. He felt light headed as the room around them began spinning.

"Wha-?" He slurred. _Did my sister just_ drug _me?!_

"Now, all you need is sleep." Mabel assured as she laid him down. "And you'll be right as rain."

He laid back and decided to listen to her. Even if her methods were unorthodox, she always had his best interest at heart. That didn't mean his best interest happened the way they would have liked.

 _Maybe a nap will do me some good._ Dipper thought as his mind faded.

* * *

He felt light, practically weightless. As if he were floating.

No. There was just nothing to stand on, yet he wasn't falling. There was no ground, but there was also no gravity.

He looked down to see that he was still in bed. Not him, but still him, another him.

 _Huh, a semi-lucid dream?_ He theorized. _Or Mabel's drug got me high._ He hoped it was the first.

The body below him snapped his eyes open, only it wasn't Dipper's eyes. The eyes held a barely noticeable hint of yellow to them and the pupils were long. Almost cat-like, except not as sharp, instead they were blunt.

"Hello Pinetree." It spoke, shocking Dipper. "Don't you just enjoy this fail-safe?"

"What are you doing here Bill!?" Dipper asked as he backed up. "How did you get here, the barrier is supposed to keep you out!"

"And it would, if I didn't have a backdoor to creep in through." He stated as he motioned to the boy.

"Me!?" Dipper asked in shock. "How!?"

"Well a deal's a deal, remember?" Bill asked knowingly. "You think just because I left your body that the deal was over? I left a small part of myself in you. Like a splinter, festering in your mind."

"That's disgusting!" Dipper stated uneasily. "And you didn't hold your end of the bargain!"

"Oh didn't I?"

A bright light flowed from Bill's eye like a projector playing on the wall. It showed the deal struck between the two.

 _The computer began speaking: Too many failed entries. Initiate data erase in five minutes._

 _"No! Noonono! I'm gonna lose everything?!" Dipper cried in horror. "I only have one more try?!"_

 _Everything turns black and white and Bill appears._

 _"Well, well, well. Someone's looking desperate." Bill spoke casually._

 _"I thought I told you to leave me alone." Dipper stated annoyed._

 _"I can help you, kid." Bill stated as his hand lights on fire. "You just need to hear out my demands."_

 _Dipper looked at computer, which is at 4 minutes now. "Uh, what crazy thing do you want anyway? To eat my soul? To rip out my teeth? Are you gonna replace my eyes with baby heads or something?"_

 _Bill raised his hands in defense. "Yeesh, kid, relax. All I want is a puppet!"_

 _"A puppet?" Dipper asked suspiciously. "What are you playing at?"_

 _"Everyone loves puppets." Bill stated. "And it looks to me that you've got a surplus."_

 _Dipper became uneasy. "I don't know, man. Mabel worked really hard on these."_

 _"Seems to me one little puppet is a small price to pay to learn all the secrets of the universe." His voice echoes on the last word. "Besides, what's your sister done for you, lately? How many times have you sacrificed for her, huh? And when has she ever returned the favor?"_

 _As he spoke, his body showed flash backs to scenes from their first day, the day they got Waddles and their time at the pool._

 _Dipper looks at Mabel playing outside with her friends, and the computer, which now has 30 seconds on the clock._

 _Bill, whose eye becomes a clock. "Tick tock, kid." Reaches for him and hand lights on fire_

 _Dipper, still uneasy spoke. "Uh, just one puppet? Fine!" He shakes Bill's hand "So what puppet are you gonna pick, anyway?"_

 _Bill seems to take a second to think. "Hmm, let's see. Eenie meenie mynie..." His voice gets low and echoes demonically. **"YOU."**_

That's where the projection ends.

"See." Bill declared.

"See what, me getting suckered?" Dipper asked bitterly.

"I help you and you give me a puppet. Thanks to that deal you'll always be my puppet, see." A bunch of strings began flew from Bill's fingers and began to coil around Dipper's heads limbs, forcing him to make sporadic movements. "Dance Pinetree, dance!"

"Hey!" Dipper exclaimed as he tried and failed to control his own body. "I never-ah, humans don't bend like this-I NEVER GOT ANY HELP!"

Bill stopped his puppetry, much to Dipper's relief.

 **"ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR!?"** Bill asked angrily as his body turned red and grew to the size of a house, Dipper stepped back and kept his mouth shut out of fear. "Help is relative, I tried to _help_ you by destroying the laptop and keeping you from getting involved which would keep you safe-er. You didn't like that, your problem. Thanks to the laptop being busted, you found of Glasses' connection to the Author." Bill paused to rub his would-be chin thoughtfully. "That means I helped you twice in one go."

"...You remind me of a lawyer." Dipper groaned.

"Aw thanks Pine-hey, I didn't say to stop dancing!" Bill shouted as he flexed his fingers. "Get back to twerk!"

"Wait, what are you here for!?" Dipper demanded in hopes of not doing the vulgar dance. "You didn't come here just to mess with me." He hoped.

"Oh right, thanks for reminding me Pinetree, I'd lose my head if I had one." Bill stated before he began patting his body and looking around. "Hey, where's my screaming head!?" He turned his eye accusingly towards Dipper.

"Bill!"

"Oh fine." Bill groaned. "I'm going to level with you Pinetree, I don't like to share."

"Share?"

"Yeah, I staked a claim on this world eons ago, now the others want in." Bill sighed. "That's what I get for bragging while drunk on anti-matter."

"Others?" Dipper questioned as a memory began resurfacing. "Those things...behind the rift!"

"Bingo!" Bill exclaimed as he began flashing. "Though they don't like the term 'things', they prefer either 'harbingers of the apocalypse' or 'multi-dimensional demons' for those who prefer to be socially correct."

"They want to destroy the world!?" Dipper asked in horror.

"Don't be so selfish Pinetree, they want to destroy _all_ worlds, not just yours. Talk about conceited." Bill stated with a roll of his eye. "And that's where our interests differ." He turned back towards the boy. "I like humans Pinetree, they...amuse me. I've been messing with humans from the dawn of time. All those tales of demented imps and other mischievous magical pranksters, this guy." He pointed his thumbs to himself. "If the other's get through then it's bye-bye laughs."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I want your help of course." Bill stated as if it were obvious. "I want you to help me keep the others from getting into this dimension."

"No."

"Fine."

"I said...wait, fine!?" Dipper asked shocked. "That's it?"

"Yep."

"Alright, what's your game?" Dipper asked suspiciously.

"Well I'm partial to checkers, but I've been known to play Jumanji here and there."

"You know what I mean!" Dipper snapped. "You never give up, you just-"

"Well, I'll just move to the next option." Bill stated as he pulled out a list. "Maybe I'll just wait for one of you to leave the safety of the shack, you humans can't stay cooped up forever. Well, you could but you'd go mad." He chuckled. "I could just wait for Summer to end, when you all have to leave. Oh, it'll be fun watching you try to explain that to dear old mom and dad!" Bill began speaking in Dipper voice. "Mom, we can't leave, there's a demon that want's to control me to stop other demons that want to bring about the apocalypse!"

"Well I wouldn't be that stupid." Dipper stated. "I would-"

"I'll just find another person to to do what's needed." Bill stated as he pulled out a list from his hat with random names. "Maybe one of your friends, a family member? Shooting Star is pretty gullible." Bill turned to Dipper with an evil red eye. **"How long would it take to break her mind, hmm?"**

"...Don't." Dipper whispered.

This was the very thing he had been trying to prevent! This was why he was in the attic thinking all day. He needed to keep her safe.

"I'll sweeten the deal for you." Bill stated. "I'll let you word the deal. And to keep it interesting, you have...say...twelve hours."

* * *

The boy awoke from his nightmare in a cold sweat.

 _That was...dark for Bill._ Dipper thought.

Twelve hours. He had twelve hours to come up with a suitable deal for Bill, or else things would get worse.

He was brought from his thoughts by the door creaking open, Mabel stuck her head in.

"Hey bro-bro, your up." She spoke happily. "I've got good news and bad news, which do you want to here first?"

"...Good." He answered.

"The good news is I was nice enough to let you think you have a choice."

Okay, now he was a little worried. "To what?"

"The bad news of course, keep up."

"And what is said bad news?" He asked amused.

"We," She motioned between the two of them. "Are going out for some fun and you are going to like it."

Dipper looked at his sister for a solid minute. Finally, he began laughing.

He had twelve hours. What were a few used for his sister? After all, he was good at multi-asking.

 **Review**


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own 'Gravity Falls' or the image, it is property of 'Markmak' from Deviantart.

 **A deals a deal**

* * *

It had been a crazy day with Mabel. She had done all she could to cheer Dipper up, and it seemed to work, but she knew her brother.

Now it was coming to a close.

As soon as Dipper got Mabel down for the night. She had decided to not make it easy for him.

"Come one Mabel, be reasonable!" Dipper begged as he chased her.

"No, I don't wanna!" Mabel whined while running.

The ending of such a happy day had been hard for Mabel. It had been hard for Dipper as well, but he was able to handle it in a mature way. Mabel was not capable of that. It was why he was currently chasing her around their room.

Eventually he just could't keep up.

 _Where is she getting all that energy?_ He thought to himself. _Maybe she was on to something with all that Mabel-aid._

"Okay, what do you want?" He gasped.

He noticed her eyes sparkle before she composed herself.

"Why Dipper, do you think I'm just making this difficult for you just to gain something?" She asked with false innocence. "You're right!"

"Well, what did you-Ah!"

Before he could finish, she grabbed him by his sleeve and yanked him. She pulled him towards their window where she sat him down and joined him in a prayer like position.

"Wish with me." She ordered.

"What?"

"Make a wish with me."

They looked into the night sky, decorated with stars they'd never be able to see back home. They spoke as one in a manner that only twins could, completely in sync with each other.

"Star light, star bright, First star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, Have this wish I wish tonight." They paused to think of a wish.

 _I wish Mabel's wish came true._ Dipper thought.

"I wish we could stay in Gravity Falls." Mabel spoke.

"Mabel, if you say it out loud, it won't come true." Dipper explained. _Hm, why that wish?_

"Like you wished for anything different." Mabel smirked.

 _If only you knew._ Dipper thought. _Actually, I plan to make sure you never do._

Dipper laid in his bed as Mabel crawled into hers. He recounted the days events, mostly the part where he may or may not have gained the help he needed.

* * *

-Flashback

"And so I said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, either way, I was drawing a picture on her." Dipper chuckled at her statement. She had just told him her latest adventure in her 'Humanicaticature' art. "Her owner then paid me forty bucks to giver her the cat back and leave."

"Does that mean you're going to pay for your own pancakes?" Dipper asked, she had two stacks of them.

Actually, she had two stacks of pancakes with her syrup.

"No." She answered honestly. He chuckled again, but something was off. He was distracted. Heck, he seemed to be absentmindedly writing at this very moment, even without looking at it! "Dipper, you ready to tell me what's wrong?" She asked. "Don't say nothing, I know you."

Dipper looked at her, taken back by her seriousness before sighing. "I'm in a bind, and...I'm terrified."

"Come on Dipper, you've beaten monsters, demons, and psycho's, what could scare you?" She asked, nervous herself.

"I'm...not afraid of what could hurt me." Dipper stated. "It's just..."

Mabel could see Dipper struggling to explain himself. She rarely saw him at a lost for words like this, it was an uncomfortable sight.

"Look, you'll tell me when you're ready." Mabel stated with a sigh. "I trust you."

Dipper gave her a smile, she understood. Trust was all he'd ever asked of her, ever needed of her.

"Thank you."

"No problem, now I'm going to get another bottle of syrup." Mabel stated. "All this seriousness is putting a bitter taste in my mouth that only sweetness can fight off."

With that, his twin charged off to steal someone else bottle of syrup. That someone happened to be a kid with a sweet tooth, it was not to be settled peacefully.

With her distracted, Dipper looked at his work that he had been writing on the napkin, trying to find a flaw somewhere. He couldn't screw this up.

"What're you doing?" A voice asked.

Dipper looked up to see the last person he had expected, Pacifica Northwest.

"I could ask you the same." Dipper stated. "Never though you'd be in a place like this."

He faintly heard her mutter in agreement before turning to his writing.

"There's so many loopholes in there that it's a crime." She stated.

Dipper looked down at his writing, then back at the Northwest. A dozen thoughts going through his mind at once.

 _She has more experience at this then I do._ He thought.

"What if I were to tell you that I was going to make a deal with the devil." Dipper stated seriously. "One with no writing, lawyer, or anything other than our words involved." _And magic._ He thought to himself.

Pacifica was taken back by the random statement and the seriousness behind it.

"Then you throw out all things used by normal laws, such as being under Duress and eye witnesses, a deal with the devil is nothing more than perceived wording." Pacifica stated uneasily. "Take that...incident at my family's party." She stated. "The lumberjacks agreed to build the mansion which would be a service to the people. You might think it'd be there to help others in their time of need, my family thinks that reminding the people of this town of our class difference will keep them...in there place, as if not to mess with some kind of world order."

"What about letting the common folk in?" Dipper challenged.

"Who's common to who?" Pacifica asked. "The rich to the rich and the poor to the poor. Common is putting something or someone on equal footing with a mass amount of another."

"But that's..."

"A matter of perspective." Pacifica cut in.

 _'Help is relative'._ Dipper hears the words Bill spoke echo in his head.

"So how would one go about making the deal themselves?" Dipper asked.

"Make the terms from your perspective, use your mind to make everything work in your favor while giving little." Pacifica. "Still, you have to let them think they're getting exactly what they want."

"And the payment?"

"Well, in the end, some part has to be held up." Pacifica stated. "A deal's a deal, even for a dirty dealer."

Dipper processed everything she had said to him. Using every bit of brainpower, he was already seeing the loopholes in the deal he would have struck with Bill. That would have been bad. But now!

"I owe you big!" He stated excitedly as he ran off.

If he had stayed for just a second, he'd have heard her mutter. "Don't worry, I intend to collect."

-End Flashback

* * *

 _Wonder how I'll pay her back._ Dipper thought.

That was his last thought before he closed his eyes.

* * *

Bill was there the minute Dipper closed his eyes. He wouldn't have been surprised if the dream demon had been following him the whole day.

The dream plane seemed to, once again, be the attic that he and Mabel shared. Dipper wondered if the girl across from him was really his sister.

"So Pinetree, have you decided on the words that may decide the fate of your life and those around you?" Bill asked, drawing his attention. "But no pressure."

 _Yeah right._ Dipper thought, but he shook the thought from his head. It was now or never.

"I want Mabel to be _alive, safe and unharmed_ from _all_ threats, both natural _and_ supernatural, so that she can live her life as _she_ sees fit." Dipper stated, emphasizing every part that could be abused.

 _Is that it, am I missing everything?_ Dipper thought to himself.

"And what do I get in return?" Bill asked.

"I will give you a hand in any _one_ project of your choosing." Dipper stated. "After that, you will leave my- _our_ family and friends in peace."

"Deal." Bill stated as his hand began glowing.

Dipper looked at the hand in front of him in hesitation. He couldn't be too eager for this, he needed to be sure.

"Come on Pinetree, it's your words here, to save your sister." Bill stated. "Isn't your sister worth it?"

As if that was all he needed to hear, Dipper grabbed Bill hand in a firm grip.

"Deal."

The fire that engulfed Bill's hand traveled to Dippers, up to his arm. Once it receded, Dipper's arm began thrashing around uncontrollably.

"Hey, what's going on!?" Dipper exclaimed.

"Oh, I'm just getting my payment." Bill answered calmly. "See, my project is a _long_ one, and as my new assistant, I need your _hand_ do as I say more than it does you. So I gave it a mind of it's own, that obeys me."

"So you possessed my arm?" Dipper asked horrified, but not at all surprised.

"Yes I did, see." Bill snapped his finger.

The arm turned to Dipper and began strangling the boy with more strength that he was sure that he possessed.

"I hope you don't mind, it was your deal after all." Bill stated as he laughed at the child.

"Actually, I..." Dipper stated as he retched himself free. "Don't!

To Bill's utter shock, Dipper grabbed the arm by the wrist and yanked it out. Dipper then through it to the ground, walked towards his nightstand and grabbed the cup of water and through it onto the arm. It melted away before them.

"Are you trying to back out of your deal with me boy?" Bill asked.

"No, not at all." Dipper stated calmly. "I said that I'd give you a _hand_ , and I did. But, since it became a threat to my well being, I put it in liquid form. You still get a hand, Mabel stays safe. A deals a deal."

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Bill asked as his eye turned red.

"Well, I'm just giving you the same level of payment as you gave me." Dipper stated as nonchalantly as possible. "I'd like to remind you that you once stated, and I quote, ' _Seems to me one little puppet is a small price to pay to learn all the secrets of the universe'._ " Dipper spoke. "Those were you exact words, were they not?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Well I never received any secrets of the universe." Dipper stated.

"Ah, but I did help you, twice!" Bill stated.

"Yes you did, and I still held up my end of the deal." Dipper stated. "In fact, you received two puppets, one in myself and the other in Mabel's sock construction. I think that makes us even for the two in one, just in case you believe I owe you."

"You're right!" Bill exclaimed.

"What?" Dipper asked in growing unease.

"How could I be so foolish." Bill continued on in false sadness. "Well, I don't want it to be said that I'm not a being of my word."

Bill flew away from Dipper and Mabel and positioned himself in a spot that forced Dipper to look him in his single eye. The triangular being began glowing as images of things Dipper could never conceive, hidden from all of mankind. But all Dipper, who's eyes remained open, could do was stare in both wonder and fear.

The flash of light didn't seem to cause Mabel any true discomfort, but Dipper on the other hand... He tried to turn away, it was too much, but he couldn't. He tried to close his eyes, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything but look into the heart of the flash as it blazed like the light of creation.

He felt it, in every fiber of his being he felt it. The pull from inside himself towards the light, trying to draw him in. Trying to pull him apart, in every direction.

He saw the Circle. He saw the Eye. He saw the could have been and the still can be. Then he saw something further in. A being. A single eyed being...who gazed back at him.

Bill.

Now he understood.

"Why?" Dipper asked, mystified.

Bill wasn't there to answer him.

 **Review**


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'

 **Chapter 6**

The Wheel is Complete!

The boy awoke from his nightmare in a cold sweat.

Dipper grabbed his head. The throbbing pain was still there. So were the whispers. Telling him things, telling him secrets. Telling him that it was all real.

He sat up, he couldn't sleep if he wanted to. He looked over to Mabel, sleeping without a care in the world. Good.

 _Sleep well Shooting Star._ Dipper thought. _Mabel._

Shooting Star. Burning bright.

Part of Circle. Circle bad. Shooting Star bad? No, not bad. Shooting-

He shook his head, trying to to push the whispers away. She was more than that to him. _Mabel! Her name is Mabel Pines. Twin sister._

He had to keep himself together.

 _Stop it Pine Tre-Dipper! My name is Dipper!_ He mentally shouted as he slapped the side of his head. _Pine Tree part of the the wheel, I'm not the wheel. The Wheel. His wheel. Wheel bad. Must not let complete!_

Dipper took in a lung full of air, he hadn't even realized he was holding his breath. His head was in jumbled. It was all too much at once. He needed to think. He just...he needed to get away for awhile. He needed to clear his head.

 _Yeah, good idea._ He thought to himself. _A few days in the woods will take my mind off of things._

Dipper rose from the bed and dressed, he made his way down stairs as quickly as possible.

Dipper made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a few things he'd need, just the essentials. A jar of peanut butter, a few cans of that brown meat. Enough to get by but not enough to cause them any suspicion.

He stopped his rummaging when his hand brushed against a bottle of Mabel-aid. He held the item with mixed emotions.

"That's a lot for a midnight snack." A voice spoke.

Dipper would have patted himself on the back for not jumping or screaming. Instead, he just placed the Mabel-aid down and calmly zipped his bag up and turned to who spoke. His new Grunkle, Ford.

Author. Wheel. Wheel bad.

"Just going out for awhile." Dipper stated casually.

Author. Six Fingers. Bad. Knows too much. Knows too little.

"Awhile, more like running away." Ford stated as he scanned the contents of Dipper's bag. "Something I should know about?"

Dipper didn't look at the man, he couldn't. He just fidgeted under his curious gaze.

Author. Six. Wheel. Wheel bad. Trust no one.

 _But this is the Author._ Dipper thought. _He even stated that he was wrong not to trust. And he trusts me._

"I...saw it." Dipper stated as he held his head. "I saw it all."

"Saw what?"

"I looked into it, right before you came out I looked into it." Dipper stated frantically. "I saw...I forgot about it, but now I remember that I saw."

"The portal?" Ford questioned before he became worried. "You looked into the portal!? Dipper tell me, what did you see!?" Dipper was shocked by the desperation in the man's words. Little had really shaken the man since they met, now he was acting desperate. As if he could tell what Dipper was thinking he spoke. "It must have been my machine." Ford stated as he began pacing. "That's the only explanation."

He didn't even consider Bill to be apart of it.

Don't tell truth. Trust no one.

"What?"

"You're young and what your mind can't handle it represses." Ford stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "My machine went digging into your mind and must have unlocked the memory when trying to protect it."

"What did I try to repress?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"I don't know Dipper, the only known people to look into the portal are you and Fiddleford." He spoke factually. "I fell _in_ and was tossed into another place, but you...you saw into both _infinity_ and _eternity_! Your mind shouldn't be able to handle that, Fiddleford's couldn't."

They both paused at the mention of the affect the portal had on Fiddleford. He had seen something he couldn't handle and ended up destroying his own mind for the sake of forgetting. Now he was nothing more than the town's raving lunatic.

"Is that what's gonna happen to me?" Dipper asked as he paled. "I'm going to go crazy!?"

"...There's an alternative." Ford stated after a moment of silence. He reached into his mind and pulled out the memory gun. "I can erase your memories of whatever you saw and you can wake up tomorrow like any other day in Gravity Falls."

Dipper looked at the item

"No." Dipper spoke firmly. "I want you to do the opposite, I want you to show more. I want to see everything."

Ford couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Dipper, no one's supposed see that!It's too much!

"Says who?" Dipper asked.

"The laws of nature, think about it." Ford insisted. "If we could perceive these things, we would, but we don't."

"Four hundred years ago, we either ridiculed or burned things we couldn't perceive, things that we now consider primitive." Dipper stated. "What if all we need is for someone to just take the initiative? What if this is the next step?"

"The next step to what?" Ford asked.

"I have no idea." Dipper admitted. "But isn't that what makes it wonderful, why we do what we do?"

"Look, I know how you feel. Eager and curious." He spoke kindly. "Take it from someone who's been there. You-"

No! Author bad. Wheel bad.

"No." Dipper stated firmly as he shook off Ford's hand. "Taking it from you is exactly what I _don't_ want to do."

Part of Wheel. Wheel bad.

"What?" Ford asked, taken back by the declaration.

"I tried okay." Dipper stated. "I honestly tried, but I can't be around you any longer than necessary."

"Huh?" Ford was taken back by the sudden action.

Break off. Make it hurt.

"I spent most of this Summer following your book, I admired you. Heck, I _worshiped_ you." Dipper stated without shame. "Then I heard your story...and realized you weren't the man I hoped for."

"What?"

"You turned on your brother, your twin brother, when he needed you most." Dipper stated with disgust. "How could you do that?"

"If you understood what he cost me-"

"What, college?" Dipper asked. "A lot of people don't get to go to the college of their choice, or at all, and they turn out alright. You got to go to college period and got enough money to fund your work. Heck, you could have probably paid to go to your chosen college. What did Stan do, he struggled day and night to get bye. Conned people. Went to jail."

"It's not my fault he made bad choices in life." Ford defended.

"What did Stan do for you?" Dipper asked rhetorically. "When you were picked on he stood up for you. When you called for him after years of silence, he came. When you spouted craziness, he listened. Still you tried to turn him away, so that you could keep your dangerous work. When you fell into that portal, what happened with Stan. He spent _Thirty. Long. Years_ on the single task of trying to bring you home. While you were trapped there, he trapped himself here, for you."

The Author. Too smart. Too stupid. Author and Fez not connect...not connect...incomplete wheel!

Incomplete...wheel?

"He..."

"What did you do for him in return? You turned your back on him. Never checked on him. Called him up when you needed him and then try to get rid of him, then blame him all over again."

Ford could only lower his head in shame as the words of truth sunk in.

"I have a question for you?" Dipper asked. "Where would you be if Stan hadn't wrecked that machine at the science fair?" Ford opened his mouth to answer, but no words came "Do you honestly think you would have done this differently?"

He would most likely have still chosen his field of study. Still moved to Gravity Falls. Still got caught up in the unnatural. Built the portal. From there...who knows.

And Stan...they probably wouldn't have had that fight. Wouldn't have spent thirty years trapped. Stan probably could have had a decent life for himself.

"All Stan wanted was his brother, his other half, and you turned him away." Dipper stated. "I refuse to be like that."

"Then why are you running away?" Ford challenged angrily. "I'll tell you why, because it's not that easy! It's not that easy to forgive! It's not that easy to just let all the stress fly away and hug it out! I can't just high six that and sweep it under the rug!"

"Mabel chose a stranger over her own brother." Dipper stated lowly. "You wouldn't know what it was like to have the one closest to you turn on you in a crucial moment, but Stan does. I...I'm hurt that Mabel chose Stan, but I _refuse_ to resent her for it. She reunited family, introduced me the the Author I've longed to meet." He gave a dry chuckle. "I should thank her."

"Yet you're still leaving." It wasn't a question.

Wheel. Secrets. Trust no one.

Trust no one.

"I'm doing what I have to to protect my sister." Dipper left out the door without another word.

Ford sighed, no choice. He grabbed the Memory gun.

* * *

She needed something new!

Her blogs were so still, that wasn't good. It was only a matter of time before people stopped viewing her pages!

"Come on." She muttered as she scanned the trees.

Wendy always said that this place was always full of weirdness, why couldn't it happen now when she needed it? Anything would do right now. A blurred figure. A glowing pair of eyes. Hell, even a boy standing through the woods at night!

...

...

...

A boy standing in the woods at night?

Tambry looked from her phone to see if she was seeing right. She was.

Dipper was in front of her, his eyes were wild and alert, but they weren't focused. At least not on her. He looking into the night sky and seemed to see something that was in front of him.

All the while, his hands were jotting down notes. He didn't look to see what he had been writing, it was as if his hands were on auto-pilot.

"What are you doing out here kid?" She called to him as she saw hum mumbling. "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay." Dipper stated without looking at her. "I can see the entire electromagnetic spectrum and those," Dipper stuck his hand out into the air, brushing against something she couldn't see. "Those must be atoms...little clouds of possibility. Even Einstein couldn't connect the gravitational force to the other three, but if he could have seen this... It's so obvious."

Dipper began to weave his arms in the air as if he were tracing something. Following a intricate trail only he could see.

As he did so, his hands began glowing with an blueish ethereal flame. It illuminated the area they stood in, giving Dipper and the woods an ominous look.

"How are you-"

"The fundamental forces are yoked by consciousness." Dipper spoke as he, to Tambry's further shock, began to float in the air. "Everything's connected. Everyone. And this is how he sees things all the time. Every day."

 _I don't know if I should be worried or happy._ Tambry thought. She was getting what she wanted, a show. But she was still having a hard time processing what she was seeing.

Dipper sighed. "It's a cruel joke. The mechanistic clockwork of reality hinging on a precious impossible defiance of entropy, on life." He turned and floated towards Tambry. "And the clockwork doesn't care. It's like - like it's all just us, in here together. We're all we've got."

" I...don't understand any of that, but I know it's beyond therapy." Tambry stated as she took a step back.

"You'll have to forgive him, young lady." A voice from behind her spoke. "He just figured out how everything works."

Tambry nearly felt her heart stop at the sudden appearance of Wendy's boss. At least she thought it was him, he looked different from what she remembered, not that she payed much attention to him to begin with.

Dipper turned towards Ford, noticing him for the first time. He took a few hesitant steps towards the man.

"We're just...so small." Dipper stated sadly. "So tiny and insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe itself, both this and many others."

"That's enough Dipper." Ford urged as he moved closer to the boy, a strange device in his hand. "Now just-"

"No!" Dipper shouted as he floated away. "I need more time! I need to know!"

"You don't have anymore time!" Ford insisted. "You're body's mental capacity is requiring too much energy, you're breaking down!"

Whatever Dipper was going to say was cut short when he felt a warm and wet substance fall from his nose. Blood.

"Learning's always a painful process." Dipper stated as he wiped the blood away, but it kept flowing. "Like when you're little and your bones are growing and you ache all over. Do you believe I can actually hear the sound of my own bones growing? Like this grinding under the skin. Apparently I'm due for a nice growth spurt."

"Kid, you need help!" Tambry stated as she kept looking at him. "Aren't you scared?"

"I don't feel pain, fear, desire." He admitted. "It's like all things that make us human, are fading away from me. It's like the less human I feel, all this knowledge about everything, quantum physics, applied mathematics, the infinite capacity of the cell's nucleus, they're all exploding inside my brain. All this knowledge."

"And what happens when you lose humanity!?" Ford challenged. "You become Bill!"

Become Bill. Dipper. Bill. Bipper?

"Is that his plan?" Dipper asked aloud. "Power without restraint, knowledge without wisdom, passion without love. It all screams Bill, but something so obvious doesn't."

"Who's Bill?" Tambry asked.

"...That's not your concern." Dipper answered without looking at her.

"Maybe not hers, but you're mine, after all you're still my great nephew." Ford stated. "And I do love my little sister."

"More than your brother eh?" Dipper asked.

Dipper turned towards Tambry, who flinched under his gaze. His gaze snapped down towards her phone, which had been recording everything. His mind was already processing how to use it.

He could tell them, he could tell the world, spread his knowledge! After all, that was the point of learning, to pass it on!

"The key to answers is in the locked cell of the body of the world." Dipper began speaking towards Tambry as if she understood. "This town is the body, and-AHH!"

Dipper felt as if a great, if not infinite, weight had been taken from his shoulders. Though with the relief came the feeling of absence, like something was missing from his mind, taken without his consent.

Dipper turned to see Ford holding the Memory Gun in his hand.

"Y-You used the memory gun on me!" Dipper stated horrified. All the knowledge, the comprehension, gone.

"I had no choice." Ford stated.

"Give it back!" Dipper shouted as he reached for the memory device. "I saw it, I could have shown the world. I could have saved us!"

"You could just as easily thrown the world into chaos with whatever secrets you had." Ford countered. "Knowledge is power, power to create and to destroy."

"The body is limited, while the mind's potential is virtually limitless, we could have ascended to a higher plane of consciousness, left this all behind!" Dipper challenged as he motioned to his body. "No more pain, no more suffering."

"No more love, no more happiness." Ford added. "Taking away all the things that make life worth living for."

Ford looked down at the child and sighed as he placed the item in his jacket for safe keeping.

"Not every one lives for the same thing." Dipper stated. "You of all people know that."

"Dipper, trust me, as your Grunkle and as your teacher. Knowing too much at once is a sure way to falling." Ford insisted. "You trust me don't you?"

Trust no one.

 **Review-what did you all think, be honest.**

 **I posted my Star Vs The Forces of Evil if you all want to take a peak. Please do.**


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'

 **A new deal**

Dipper tugged on the rope again, pulling out another boulder. He was clearing a cave, why? The answer hurt and angered him beyond belief.

After he had been beaten, and the Multi-Bear killed, the Manotaurs had decided to collapse the cave. It wasn't enough that they _killed_ the innocent creature, they had desecrated his burial place!

Disgusting.

Dipper stepped back and surveyed how far he had come since he started over an hour ago. He had barely scratched the surface of the removing the rocks. Looking down, he saw his bruised and blistered hands. He sighed in agitation, he still had a long way to go.

 _Need to rest._ He thought as he sat down and closed his eyes. He'd start again in a minute.

"Well what do we have here?"

Dipper's head snapped up.

"Are you going to show up every time I close my eyes?" Dipper asked annoyed.

"No." Bill answered. "Just every other time."

"What're you doing here Bill?" Dipper asked.

"Just came to see my favorite puppet." He answered.

"I told you-"

"That you weren't my puppet, I know sheesh, you sound like a broken record." Bill stated. "Well, I am happy to say that I officially held up my end of the deal and gave you the secrets of the Universe. That officially reaffirms our previous deal, secrets for the puppet."

"But I don't have the secrets." Dipper stated. "Ford erased them."

"Of course he did, that much info would have burned through you like fire through everything else."

"So you new that I wouldn't get my end of the deal!" Dipper accused.

"Hey, I don't have a hand for my work and you don't see me crying my eye out." Bill stated.

Dipper decided to ignore the dream demon as best he could and turned back to his book. He had managed to right down some of the information he had been able to collect while he had been...enlightened. Now he was doing his best to decipher it.

 _Wait, can I really read this in a dream?_ Dipper asked himself.

"A little rudimentary, but not far off." Bill stated as he read over Dipper's shoulder.

"Do you mind?" Dipper asked.

"Not at all." Bill stated as he continued to read. "Mind what?"

Dipper groaned and began standing, he needed to clear his mind.

"If everything is such a hassle, then let's make another deal." Bill offered. "I'll even let you word things again."

"No, no more deals!" Dipper shouted.

It was becoming too much. He couldn't take this much crazy all in at once. Raising a hand, he smacked himself.

There was a jolt for Dipper before he jumped in the spot he had been sitting in. It seemed it worked, he was awake.

"Who's there?" A voice spoke, bringing him from his thoughts.

Dipper was taken back by someone actually being out in the woods this early in the morning. He looked into the night as best he could to make out the shape of whoever it was. He could vaguely see them, see...

"Llama?" Dipper questioned.

"Wha-It's Pacifica!" She stated. "What're you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Dipper stated curiously. "Shouldn't you be at your mansion?"

Dipper saw her tense up as she looked away. "Shouldn't you be in that shack?"

Llama...wounded?

Dipper felt a throb in his head, had that been real? Before he could dwell on it, his main focus was on the girl in front of him.

"Pacifica...is everything okay?" Dipper asked as he took a step towards her.

Doing this made her take an involuntary step back, right into the light.

Now he could see her, the wounded Llama. Her cloths were dirty and her hair was unkept, it was something the rich girl would never usually allow. She must have been out here for awhile.

"What do you care?" She asked as she turned away from him.

"I care because we're friends." He offered a hand. "Let me help you."

"No!" She shouted, moving away from the limb as if it were diseased. "I don't want your help!" She just curled her arms around her knees. "You'll just make things worse again."

 _Again?_ He thought. _What's she talking about?_

"What's wrong?"

She sat there in silence for a moment, he thought she wasn't going to answer. Then he heard her, just barely a whisper. "It's all your fault."

"What?" He asked, confused and offended.

"It's all your fault I'm out here in the dirty woods!" She screamed.

"How is this my fault, I hardly see you!?"

"...Go back to your shack."

Shooting Star. Author. Fez.

Trust no one.

"I..can't." He stated as he looked down and grabbed his head. "Not yet."

"Aw, have a spat with the family?" Pacifica asked with mock sympathy. "Get over it! You've got it easy compared to me."

"Get over it...easy?" Dipper asked with growing rage "Do you know what it's like to have the one person you trusted more than anyone or anything in the world choose another over you, risking your life for a stranger?" Dipper asked angrily. "Do you know how much it hurts to have found out that the person you idolize idolize is nothing but a...a!?" He couldn't even find the right words.

"No!" Pacifica shouted just as angrily. "I don't know! I never had anyone I cared for like that! To care for _me_ like that! Do you know what it's like to have no one! _No one_ , not even family to care for. It's Pacifica you must do this! You must do that! For the North-West! I'm basically living a life of being groomed for my families legacy." She stated emotionlessly. "If you can call it that. Nothing but a history of liars and cheaters."

Dipper was taken back by her venomous reply. He had almost forgotten about her and her family situation. That compared to her, he was lucky, at least he had fond memories of his family. The most fun she had with hers were when they congratulated her on a win.

"I-I thought you stood up to your parents." Dipper stated uneasily. "I thought that-"

"What, you honestly thought _one_ act of rebellion is going to stop my parents? After dealing with it for my entire life?" She asked sadly and seemed to only sink lower. "I was...counting on you Dipper. I thought you would be there to help me, I thought you were my f-friend. But you left." She stated with venom as she gave him a hateful glare. "You got what you wanted and left."

Trust no one.

No.

"I...I'm sorry." Dipper stated, ashamed of himself. "I can't really say anything more than that, but..." He stood up and extended his hand.

"No." She stated sadly. "It's about time a North-West got screwed over in a deal instead of the other way around. My family's been doing it for generations, it's probably all we're good at."

"...So be better." Dipper stated.

"What?" She was taken back by his sudden statement.

"Pacifica, you're a..." Now he understood. "A miracle child."

"Please." She sighed. "I'm no miracle."

"Yes you are." He assured. "You're a...a Thermodynamic miracles"

"A what?"

"Thermodynamic Miracles." He repeated. "They only happen when events against odds so astronomical they're effectively impossible, like oxygen spontaneously becoming gold. I'v always wanted to see something like that. And yet, in each human coupling, a thousand million sperm vie for a single egg. Multiply those odds by countless generations, against the odds of your ancestors being alive; meeting; siring this precise son; that precise daughter... Until your mother meets a man she has every reason to hate, and of that union, of the thousand-million children competing for fertilization, it was you, only you that emerged. To distill so specific a form from that chaos of improbability, like turning air into gold... that is the crowning unlikelihood." He stated. "That's Thermodynamic miracles."

Pacifica just looked down in disappointment. "But... if me, my birth, if _that's_ a thermodynamic miracle... I mean, you could say that about anybody in the world!"

Dipper nodded in agreement. "Yes. Anybody _and everybody_ in the world. But the world is so full of people, so crowded with these miracles that they become commonplace and we forget... I forget. We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another's vantage point, as if new, it may still take the breath away. Come... dry your eyes, for you are life, rarer than a quark and unpredictable beyond the dreams of Heinsenberg; the clay in which the forces that shape all things leave their fingerprints most clearly. Dry your eyes... please."

"Your words would probable be sweet if it made since." She muttered. "But I haven't done anything, I'm not anything-"

"Yes you are." Dipper stated, as he tried a different approach. "You're Pacifica North-West! You come from one of the richest families in the world and you told them to beat it! You don't need them!"

"But..."

"You have the looks, the brain, the youth and the drive!" He stated excitedly. "That makes you a global force! You saved a lot of lives at that party all while dealing with a lumberjack ghost on one in and mind-control on another. How is that not unique?"

Pacifica began swelling with her old pride as she heard his words. She started brushing the filth from her clothes and straightened her hair. What was she doing looking this sorry? She should be ashamed of herself.

"You're right!" She exclaimed. "People want my life, I need to give them a reason to." She turned towards Dipper who stood there as the blond returned to her former glory. "And you'll help me won't you?" She asked, almost bashfully. "I'll need a partner."

"Partner." He asked with a grin. "A partner for what?"

Pacifica's smile wavered there.

"I want to make a name for myself, not my family's name. A name to be proud of." She spoke with determination. "I want to build something without the North-West name dragging it through mud. Not through backstabbing and other treachery, but through everything my family _doesn't_ stand for." She explained. "Can you help me?"

Dipper put out his hands, all she had to do was shake and the agreement would be set. Without a second thought, Pacifica took his hand.

"Wait, what do you want?" She asked. Friend or not, or whatever they were, no one would be involved in something like this for free.

"I want..." What did he want, _I guess it comes to what I've been doing all summer_. "Enlightenment."

There was a flash of fire between the two as they shook hands, surprising them. Though neither jumped apart. _Looks like we just made a deal._ Dipper thought curiously.

"So we're partners?" Pacifica asked, trying to stay as calm as Dipper. _Oh God, our hands are on fire! Fire that's not burning!_

"Partners." Dipper answered happily.

"Dipper!"

The sudden intrusion of the new guest caused them to jump apart in surprise. The two turned to see who ruined their moment, it was Ford.

"Ford, what're you doing here?" Dipper asked. _Thought he'd be avoiding me like the plague after last night._

"A deal's a deal." Ford stated. "And we did make a deal."

Pacifica saw Dipper's frown from the corner of her eye. She turned to Ford.

"What was the deal?" She asked.

Dipper was a little uncomfortable with telling his, but if they were going to be partners.

"That I'd become his apprentice." Dipper answered.

"In exchange for?" She pushed.

"He'd try and reconcile with his brother."

"And has he?" She asked.

Dipper opened his mouth to answer before he realized he didn't have one. He didn't know the situation with the Stan twins. All he knew was he'd been holding up his end of the bargain.

"Have you?"

Ford paused and stared at the two youths as he considered the answer. He hadn't actually talked to Stan about their issue. They had been pleasant enough towards each other, but forgiveness...that was something else entirely.

"...No." He answered. "But Dipper, we've discussed this, forgiveness is-"

Pacifica held her hand up, silencing Ford, as she grabbed Dipper's arm and began pulling him away from Ford. "Until your end of the deal is met, Dipper will be taking a temporary leave as your apprentice."

Ford raised an eyebrow at the blond. Impressed with her boldness, but annoyed none the less.

"Are you his lawyer or his wife?" Ford asked.

Pacifica blushed as she dragged Dipper away, refusing to answer. _Pacifica Pines, hmm_.

* * *

 **Sorry if this chapter seemed a little side-tracked, I assure you that it's important. And so is she.**

 **Review**


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own 'Gravity Falls' The song has been dedicated to The cowardly Christian, told you I'd post it for you.

 **Reality is a illusion**

Dipper and Pacifica were heading towards the town when it began.

Hey kid I know you can hear me  
Hey kid I know you can see  
Hey kid things are 'bout to get crazy,  
So just sit right there and you listen to me

Dipper groaned as he heard the lyrics to the randomly played music. Only one being came to his mind. Bill.

 _Does he really think I haven't learned not to trust him?_ Dipper asked himself.

I've seen more than you can imagine  
I've heard things to torture your soul  
Join me and we'll both get ahead kid  
Shake my hand and then we'll both have it all

"Dipper?" Pacifica questioned. "Where's that music coming from?"

"You can hear it too?" Dipper asked, uncomfortable with that prospect.

"How can I not?" She asked, looking around. "What is it?"

Don't let go of this opportunity  
'Cause there's no guarantee it'll last  
What say you little pal have we got a deal?  
Haven't got all day so you best think fast

 _This isn't good._ Dipper thought. "Follow me."

Dipper grabbed Pacifica by the wrist and pulled her towards the town. Hoping that the populated area would provide...he wasn't sure. Protection, a filter.

Side with me kid  
I'll have you're back  
Count me in when  
Confidence is all you lack  
Price is simple,  
Rather sparing  
Time is slipping;  
Life is choices, let's start living

You know you've always been different  
They'll just drag you down don't you see  
It's tough but you've got to be brave  
They're just dead weight you gotta cut away to be free

You know that they'll try to deceive you  
Your hunches were right from the start  
You don't have to sit and play good boy  
Take a stand and tear this world all apart

"What!?" The two exclaimed in horror at the last verse.

Suddenly a card appeared before them that read. Not really, that would go against the grand plan I have. On the back was the picture of a pyramid.

Time draws short so you've gotta make up your mind  
I don't offer these things everyday  
Little tree how big that you could grow up  
If you'll just say the word and you'll let me stay

Side with me kid  
I'll have you're back  
Count me in when  
Confidence is all you lack  
Price is simple,  
Rather sparing  
Time is slipping;  
Life is choices, let's start living

Don't let go of this opportunity  
'Cause there's no guarantee it'll last  
What say you little pal have we got a deal?  
Haven't got all day so you best think fast

Side with me kid  
I'll have you're back  
Count me in when  
Confidence is all you lack  
Price is simple,  
Rather sparing  
Time is slipping;  
Life is choices, let's start living.

Before their eyes a flash of light appeared, glowing a bright yellow. The light began to bend and shift into the form of a triangle. From out of nowhere a layer of flesh began to crawl around. This flesh seemed to take on the appearance of muscles. Throbbing and twitching muscles. In the center of the skinless flesh, a bulbous eye opened to glare menacingly at the children. The eye locked on Pacifica before turning red.

 **"BOO!"** The demonic voice echoed.

Pacifica let loose an ear piercing scream before running off in a random direction.

"Dang'it Bill!" Dipper exclaimed in frustration.

He turned back to the demon to see him in his normal appearance and laughing at the girl's fear and Dipper's frustration.

"Relax Pinetree." Bill stated once he finished. "I-"

Dipper didn't wait to hear whatever Bill was going to say, sure that it was nothing but frustrating. He ran after Pacifica.

Bill watched the retreating figure of the young detective.

"Get your fat-ass back here." He whispered.

* * *

 _Thank goodness._ Dipper thought as he found the blond.

She hadn't gotten far, he found her in the clearing that he had just lead her from. She was holding her knees, rocking back and forth.

"Pacifica." Dipper called, hoping not to startle her.

The blond nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice. Turning to him, she almost relaxed. Then she looked at Bill and tensed up again.

"What's up toots?" Bill asked.

"Oh my...a talking dorito!" Pacifica began crying harder as she held her legs and rocked back and forth.

The dream demon looked at the terrified girl and flew closer towards her.

"A **Dorito**!?" Bill exclaimed in his demonic voice. "Honey, I am a triangle, a perfect triangle! Look at these edges as they merge at a perfect angle!" He ordered as he motioned towards his symmetrical body. " **Look at them**!"

"Leave her alone Bill!" Dipper ordered only to recoil when a certain thought crossed him mind. "Wait, you can see him?"

"Ah Pinetree, just the meat puppet I wanted to see." Bill chuckled before. "You've tied Llama along for the ride when you made her your partner."

"What does that mean?" Pacifica asked uneasily.

"Apparently when we became partners, you were pulled into my, well my...life. Don't worry, he can't hurt you." Dipper stated, trying to assure her as best he could. "He's not even really here."

"Not here!?" Pacifica questioned as if he were insane. "I'm looking right at it!"

Dipper shook his head in frustration.

"No, he's just an illusion." Dipper spoke, trying to get her to understand. "Like a shadow, not the substance. He's really trapped in the mind-scape and-"

"Why waste your breath on that simple minded human?" He disappears and reappears next to Pacifica. "You cannot speak as though reality is a one-dimensional concept." Then pops next to Dipper. "Fortunately, there is a reality that you two and I can both agree on. The ultimate reality."

 _Death._ Dipper thought uneasily.

Bill chuckled as if reading his mind, he probably was. "The undiscovered country from whose born no traveler returns."

Pacifica stepped up. "Puzzles the will." She stated. "Hamlet, Act One: Scene Three."

Dipper looked at her, impressed. Not only at the fact that she new such a work of art, but that she could call on it like that from memory alone. It seemed that she was getting over her fears.

Bill sighed as he hovered above the two. "I really must curb these urges." He muttered. "I've no wish to let this world be contaminated by the whims and idiosyncrasies of my kind."

"Really?" Dipper asked. "I don't understand-" Bill chose that moment to vanish from sight. Again.

"He's over there, Dipper." Pacifica stated uneasily.

Dipper turned to the triangle.

"What I don't understand is why you want me-" He spoke before shaking his head. "No. No, let me rephrase that. I want to know why you would go to such extraordinary lengths just to keep trying to con me."

"Come on now, Dipper." Bill spoke as if it were obvious. "How else can I obtain my freedom, operate as a completely free entity, unfettered by others on my side of existence? Only by allying myself of you and your misplaced morality, your constant crusading, your-"

"Are you done?" Pacifica asked, as if she were bored.

Both Dipper and Bill turned to her in disbelief, though Dipper couldn't help but smile. She had guts.

"For a demon, I'm not impressed." Pacifica stated as she looked at her nails. "Not by your form, though it could be improved on, but by your method. I thought you guys were masters of manipulation. That leads me to two conclusion. Either you're very bad, or you're very desperate." Dipper felt like smacking himself on the head, it was so obvious. The frequent visits, the offer of letting him make his own deal. "So, how about we sit down and talk about this like civilized...beings." Pacifica offered.

"I like her more than I like the red-headed on." Bill stated with a chuckle. "Your taste in the opposite sex is getting better."

"Can we not?" Dipper asked as he turned a unique shade of red.

"Let's...not get off topic." Pacifica stated with a blush.

"You're right, we got off on the wrong foot." Bill stated as he removed one of his legs. "Let's use the **right** one." He them swung the leg and hit Pacifica in the head with it.

"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted.

"You think you're smart?" Bill asked as his eye turned red. "Let me tell you something! Your just as unimportant as the rest of the people in this hick town who'll fade with the centuries!"

Pacifica just turned and looked Bill in the eye and laughed. Laughed. This caused the demon and boy to look at each other in confusion.

"Actually, I'm more important than you think." Pacifica stated with a smile. "Seeing as my partner needs me to convince him that you'd be the lesser of two evils. Now you just need to convince me." She stated as she sat back with a sneer. "And you're doing a poor job of it."

"Pacifica, don't!" Dipper begged. "He'll-"

He was silenced when Pacifica held a hand up, cutting him off.

"He'll do nothing." She assured. "Threaten me, I don't think so. I've already been under physical and mental abuse, I'm sure I can take what he can dish out, or last long enough for the plan to go belly up." She stated confidently. "Threats on my loved ones, good luck finding them, I'd like to meet them myself. Threaten Dipper," She motioned to the silent boy. "If you could get through to him you would have, meaning you can't."

The words hung in the air for a moment as the atmosphere became unbearably tense. Bill continued to glare at Pacifica with his demonic red eye while she just stared at her nails as if she was bored. In truth, she felt as if her heart was going to pop out of her chest with the way it was beating.

"Really like this one." Bill stated as he nudged Dipper.

"Sit." She ordered. Both Dipper and Bill, who just formed his own seat of multi-colored...clams, sat. "Talk."

"Fine, let me put it in a way you can all understand." Bill stated as his eye returned to normal. "I want to keep my group from coming through the rift so that I can keep this place for myself."

Pacifica turned to Dipper. "Sounds to me like Armageddon's beckoning you, Dipper."

"Actually, we planned on a weird-mageddon." Bill corrected. "With me on this side and the breach destroyed and no longer able to constrain me, and with unlimited access to this world, there will be nothing beyond my reach."

"Why the sudden change in plans?" Dipper asked curious.

"Oh _now_ you care?" Bill asked, almost as if he were offended. "Well maybe I don't feel like telling you! Maybe I'll have your partner here help me instead!"

"Bill was it?" Pacifica asked as she clung to Dipper. "I'm not making a deal with anything supernatural without this boy around."

"Fine." Bill stated as he leaned back. "The inter-dimensional criminals that I call my friends and I planned to come to this backwater world and have some fun! Just like we did with our own world."

"You...destroyed your own world?" Dipper asked horrified.

"My world and all the neighboring ones where I collected my weird crew." Bill stated as he sighed contently. "Ah, memories."

"So why the change of heart?" Pacifica asked suspiciously.

"Have you seen an old heart?" Bill asked. "After awhile they become-"

"Bill!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Fine!" Bill screamed like a child. "If we continue this way, then I won't be able to have my fun. Eventually we'll just waste away each universe and I won't have anywhere to have my fun."

"You would turn on your on friends...just so you can keep having fun?" Pacifica asked.

"What, in that action, is out of character for a demon?" Bill asked with a raised...brow.

"...What's in it for us?" Pacifica asked.

"Pacifica!?" Dipper exclaimed, horrified. _Is she really considering this?_

"All your dreams coming true." Bill answered with exaggerated happiness.

"To vague, I have nightmares." The blond stated. "Try again."

"I'll free you from your father." Bill stated.

Pacifica flinched at this before glaring at the demon.

"Freedom comes in many forms." She stated heatedly. "Death and ignorance are the usual cases, too risky, try again."

"I'll give you Pine Tree here." Bill stated.

"What!?" Dipper asked, offended.

"He's already mine." She stated as she pulled him close. "Now since you have nothing I want, we'll be on our way."

Dipper could only move in stunned silence as he was dragged away by the girl that just maneuvered around a deal with a demon. He was vaguely aware of Bill still floating there in a similar state.

 _What did she mean by 'already mine' back there?_ Dipper wondered. _Does it have anything to do with the deal? Crap, I did make the deal, but maybe it was too vague! Did I giver her some kind of control over me!?_

The boy began mentally panicking so hard that he hadn't even noticed they had entered the Greasy Diner. Nor had he noticed that Pacifica was calling him.

"DIPPER!"

"Wha-when did we-?"

The blond motioned to Dipper's side, he turned to see Tambry. She was just standing over him with her phone pointed towards him, recording.

"Uh, can I help you?" Dipper asked.

"Do something." Tambry ordered, never taking her phone off of Dipper.

"What?"

"Do something amazing...and weird." Tambry stated. "Like in the woods last night."

"The...woods?" Dipper's head throbbed.

Tambry took out her phone. She began showing the recording of his encounter with Ford and his...attempt of comprehending something that was now beyond his grasp.

"That's me?" Dipper asked as he looked at the video.

"Same face, same hat, same boy." Tambry answered,

"How many people have seen this?" Pacifica asked curiously.

"I posted this last night, or early this morning, and I got more views than I thought possible." Tambry stated with a small smile. "Over a hundred thousand and still growing."

 _A hundred thousand!?_ Pacifica thought, her mind racing.

"Come on Dr. Funtimes, show us something." Tambry pleaded.

Pacifica looked around the diner to see who was watching them, the nosy people. By now the rest of the customers were intrigued by the prospect of the show.

 _Never let an opportunity pass._ Pacifica thought. _The first lesson my dad ever taught me._

"That's going to cost you." Pacifica stated.

"Huh?"

"As Dipper's partner, my advice is not to exploit any possible commodity without the prospect of a payoff." Pacifica stated as she linked arms with him.

Tambry reached into her pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"It better be weird and amazing or I'm going to want a refund." The teen warned as Pacifica took it and folded it away in her pocket.

"Don't think I don't see all you people being nosy!" Pacifica called out to the rest of the customers in the diner. "No free showings, pay or no show!"

Many of the customers began reaching into their wallets and purses, albeit grudgingly, for a bit of cash. They were eager to see some form of entertainment to go with their meals.

 _This is great!_ Pacifica thought with glee. _Already off to a good start!_

Pacifica began walking around the diner to collect the money. As soon as she grabbed the first bill, the doors burst open.

"What is going on here!?" A snobbish voice demanded.

All eyes turned to the entrance of the diner to see the richest couple in town. Preston Northwest and his wife. Behind them are Officer Blubs and Deputy Durland.

"I go out of my way to find you and this is what I see!" He shouted angrily. "My daughter! A Northwest! Panhandling! Like some common beggar on the street!"

She began backing away in fear of her father. "No, I was doing business wi-"

"Liar!" He shouts as he grabbed her by her arm.

"She's not lieing!" Dipper stated. "We have a deal!"

Preston turned to Dipper and sneered at the boy.

"Why am I not surprised _you're_ involved in this?" He asked in disgust before turning to the cops. "You two, detain the boy. I'm taking this ungrateful brat back home for some discipline."

"Dipper!" She cried out as she reached for the boy. "Help!"

Dipper tried to move towards her, but Blubs and Durland stood in his way.

"Don't do it kid." Blubs warned. "He's her daddy and he can make your life more complicated than it aught to be."

He tried to move around them, but the easily blocked the kids path. He watched as she cried out to him while being dragged away. And he was unable to do anything.

 _No no no!_ Dipper mentally cried out. _I can't let her go, we made a...deal._ Dipper suddenly felt very cold inside, as if he were detached from everything. _...I see._

"Ten O'clock." Dipper stated calmly.

His voice echoed in an ominous manner, carrying around the diner. It was enough to stop the Northwest and force them to turn to the boy.

"W-What?" Pacifica asked nervously.

"Have your bags packed by ten." Dipper stated looking her in the eyes.

Pacifica looked at him, he was so calm, so sure of himself. It made her want to trust him.

"O-Okay." She whispered, though he could hear her.

 _He hasn't let me down yet._ Pacifica tried to reason. _We made a deal after all. He holds up his. I can trust him. I can trust him._ She tells herself to keep from breaking down.

Everyone watched as the man took his daughter away from the diner in a rage. No one tried to interfere, either out of fear of the families wealth, or not caring enough to do anything.

"Something weird and amazing, right?" Dipper asked as he looked at the teen.

She was taken back by the sudden change of the kid who usually sweats and fidgets.

"Y-Yeah." Tambry answered.

He gave the teen a smile, a not so friendly one. "Then I guess we should make a deal."

He held out his hand, now covered in ethereal flames.

 **Review**

 **Sorry for the wait, and I know the cliffhanger isn't helping, but I hope it keeps you interested. Tell me what you think. Next should be MUCH sooner.**


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'

 **POLLS!** **I HAVE MADE A VOTING POLLS FOR A POKEMON STORY, CHECK IT OUT AND VOTE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.**

 **Also, posting a vampire Dipper fic! A _REAL_ vampire fic, like we love. Not like Vampire Diaries! Not like Twilight! Not like any of these modern abominations. I mean a REAL vampire that stayed in the shadows and drunk blood for life and pleasure. Dipper now has to cope after being bitten, to save his unknowing sister, under the tutelage of the one who did so, if he doesn't break. ****Dipper harem. Who wants to see it?**

* * *

 **Keeping bargain**

The Mystery Shack was pulling a decent haul today. A tour bus had come through the town had fell for Stan's usual gimmicks. It seemed as if people just wanted to give away their money.

"Mabel, where's your brother?"

Mabel shrugged, she had awoken to find her brother gone, not surprising. He'd sometimes woke up in the middle of the night, if he slept at all, from either paranoia or because he was on a 'hunt'.

"When you find him, tell him to man the register." Stan stated as he walked away to meet a group of tourists. "People aren't just going to put their money in there.

It was at that moment that Dipper walked into the shop, not that anyone noticed. Anyone but Mabel.

"Speak of the d-" Mabel stopped mid sentence, thrown off by her brother's vibe.

What unnerved Mabel was the look on Dipper's face. She had effectively called it, his war face. While it sounded cute on a twelve year old, the name fit regardless, Dipper had the look of someone going to war. Mabel had seen the look a total of two times in her entire life.

Once during their weird Summer, she had been kidnapped by Gideon. He had jumped off of a cliff onto a giant robot to save her. He had stopped caring about his own well-being. Or any form of rationality.

She had seen it once before that, during a bad time for them, a bully had gone after Mabel. One she couldn't laugh away. Her brother confronted him for her, it got physical. Dipper wasn't strong on a day to day basis, but he didn't need to be when he was smart. He knew what parts of a body was...fragile, what broke easiest. What hurt the most. It had been short and brutal with one clear warning. Leave Mabel alone.

The kid went to intensive care and had several permanent reminders of what he did. The family tried to sue, but bullies get their just deserts in the end.

"Hey bro-bro." Mabel began nervously. "W-What'cha up to?"

Dipper looked at her and smiled, though it wan't friendly. It was the kind of smile a person used when they were just being polite but wanted nothing to distract them at the moment.

"Fine Mabel." He answered curtly before an idea struck. "Mabel!" Dipper called with a strange smile. "My dear sweet, loving sister."

All of the warning bells in Mabel's head were going off. She began backing away slowly with a nervous smile of her own.

"Dipper." She stated uneasily. "My dear weird, scary brother."

"Oh don't be like that Mabes." Dipper spoke, never dropping his smile. "I need a favor. Something only my loving and quirky sister can do."

"Look Dip, I know we're close and I'll admit I've had a few fantasies about the forbidden act myself." She stated in a calming manner. "But you're my brother and some lines even I can't cross." She stated. "Unless you get me enough Smile-Dip for my bro-dip."

"...Uh...Mabel...?" He spoke uncomfortably. "That's...not what I had in mind."

Mabel blushed as understanding filled her. She had jumped the gun like never before. Now she and Dipper were suffering from it.

"Oh...You sure?" Mabel asked as she put her 'skepticals' on.

"I have never been more sure of anything." Dipper stated firmly. "Even when the world was almost destroyed by the portal was I more sure."

"Fine." She stated as she crossed her arms and held her nose up in the air. "But you just missed out on Mabel!"

"...Just going to repress that." Dipper stated to himself. "I need a different favor. I need you to use your Mabel goodness-that sounded wrong, I apologize- to get Stan and Ford to love each other- _like brothers_ , for me. Today." Dipper stated, hoping he covered the angles. "Can you do that?"

"Can I, yes." She answered. "Will I,...also yes."

"But?" He asked, there was always something, even from family. Especially from family.

"I want to know what's going on." She answered seriously. "Not the stuff you'll tell me to 'keep me happy' or because 'it's for my own good' or anything like that. I want the truth."

"Deal." Dipper stated instinctively holding his hand out.

Mabel didn't even take a look at his hand. She pulled him into a hug, which he returned. Sometimes it was nice to know that someone had your back when you needed them most.

"Deal." She whispered.

With their all too familiar 'pat-pat' to the back, they departed for their tasks. Mabel looked over her shoulder and saw Dipper watching her leave. She have him a large smile and a wink before strutting out with a sway in her hip.

"Repressing in five...four...three..." His head suddenly felt physically heavier, but his mind felt lighter. "And repressed."

"Ain't nothing going to repress that for long." Wendy stated from behind him.

To his credit, Dipper didn't jump in shock at someone behind him, he only adjusted his hat.

"It'll last long enough for me to get my hands on the memory gun." He stated.

Stan came from the back of the shop and looked at the people he would have been scamming. Would have. Instead he walked to the door and began motioning for people to leave.

"Alright people, the shop is closing early." Stan stated as he ushered them out. "Go home and come back tomorrow."

"But-"

Stan reached into his pocket and brandished a pair of brass knuckles. Giving the meanest face he could, he directed at all of the shop's hopeful customers. They got the hint and left as quickly as possible.

During their frantic escape, someone dropped a quarter, it fell to the ground and rolled towards the gruff owner. Contrary to Stan's usual money grubby nature, he didn't pick the coin up. He just turned away from it and tried not to cry.

"Don't make this any harder than it has to be!" Stan stated to the coin.

The coin took the hint and stood on it's side as it began rolling away.

"You feeling okay Mr. Pines?" Soos asked.

"I-" He took one look at Mabel who only smiled brightly. He put on his most blank look. "I am fine Soos. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"If you say so." Soos stated happily. "Going to go enjoy my day off Soos style."

Without any elaboration, Soos made his way out of the shack.

Once the shop was empty, Mabel and Ford joined them in the doorway. Mabel maintained her smile, though Ford was looking pretty grim, as if someone was had told him his dog had died. Been revived as a Zombie and then he had to put it back down himself.

"Alright Dip Dop, see you when the brothers unite." Mabel stated as she dragged the elder twins away.

It was just Dipper and Wendy.

"Dude, what are you up to?" Wendy asked.

Dipper turned to the red head he had known for the Summer. He began smiling his creepy smile as another idea formed.

"Wendy, my friend." He stated. "My big, strong, redheaded friend."

"...Well that's a 8 out of 10 on the creepy scale." She muttered.

"Want to help me stick it to a to someone who deserves it while breaking some crimes that could lead us to prison?" He asked, playing on her destructive tendencies.

"I'm listening." She stated with a smile.

* * *

Dipper had asked for Tambry to assemble everyone from their little group to meet. She did so, using a little bit of...persuasion. She's blackmailing them. She's using blackmail.

They were all meeting up at the Mystery Shack, much to Robbie's disdain.

"So what're we doing here?" Robbie asked when they all arrived.

"Something amazing." Tambry stated.

"Yeah right." He scoffed.

"She's partly right." A voice answered behind them.

The teens turned to see Dipper, still maintaining a smile, and Wendy.

"Dr. Fun times!" Nate and Lee greeted.

"Why am not surprised?" Robbie groaned.

"Hello everyone, I'm glad you could make it." Dipper spoke politely.

"Well Tambry kind of blackmailed us to come." Nate stated.

Tambry just looked from her phone and shrugged.

"What does she have on you?" Dipper asked, intrigued.

"As long as we get this 'favor' done, you'll never find out!" Robbie stated, red with embarrassment. "Now, why are we here!?

"Tonight, we are going to break into the North-West mansion." Dipper stated calmly.

"...Are you high?" Robbie asked.

"I am." Lee stated. "And even I think that's stupid."

"Why would we help you do something that crazy?"

"Because I can give you what you want." Dipper stated with a smile. "I can give you all a thrill and you'll be able to walk away from it with your middle-fingers raised high without so much as a slap on the wrist."

"And how's that?"

Dipper held up his hand and it became covered in flames. The teens, minus Tambry, reacted by taking a step back. Even Wendy was unfamiliar with the act.

"Through power." He answered as he examined the flames. "Power is a fragile thing, it tolerates no threat. Defiance must be met with an example of the wages of defiance."

"What's that mean?" Nate asked, Lee shrugged in response.

"Pacifica is my friend, my partner, we have a deal." Dipper stated as continued to examine the flames. "Preston thinks he can interfere with our contract, unknowingly making me stronger. He made me power. While helpful, he tried to be a threat to me, I will not tolerate it."

"Okay, now _why_ should we help you?" Robbie asked.

The preteen extinguished the flames and folded his hands behind his back. He gave them the same smile that creeped out his sister and redheaded friend.

"Either you help me, and I help you at a later date." Dipper offered before giving them a unnerving look. "Or you make me an enemy from here on out."

There was a moment of silence as the teens looked at one another. They had never seen the kid like this, or anyone for that didn't take long before they came to a conclusion.

"Where do we come in?" Nate asked.

"You're not honestly scared of this twerp, are you!?" Robbie asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Nate and Lee answered together.

"H-He can make fire on his hand." Thompson stated in fear.

Robbie looked at the group of teens there before scoffing and walking off. So the kid became his enemy, how would that be any different from the rest of their Summer encounter?

* * *

Pacifica finished packing the last of her bags.

"Pacifica!" She heard her mother cry in annoyance. "This is the third time I've caught you packing those cloths, it had better be the last!"

"It is." Pacifica stated calmly without looking at her mother. "It's nine thirty, he's on his way."

Pacifica rolled her eyes when she heard her mother scoff at the declaration.

"You really think he's coming?" Mrs. North-West asked condescendingly.

"He is!" Pacifica shouted.

"Please, he's just filling your head with nonsense." Mrs. North-West chuckled. "He's just some boy who-"

"He's more than that!" Pacifica declared as she turned her back on her mother. "You haven't met him, he's amazing. He's- he's-he's floating outside of my window..."

Mrs. North-West looked at her daughter in confusion before following her gaze and her eyes nearly popped from their sockets. There was Dipper, who appeared to be floating outside of the window. The young detective gave a smile before motioning for Pacifica to open the window.

The blond ran to it and opened it, letting Dipper in. This gave her a view of what was really happening outside. Dipper hadn't been floating, he was actually being help up by Wendy, who had been turned into a giant by the enlarging crystals.

"Hey Pacifica." Dipper greeted. "Got your bags packed?"

Nodding, she motioned to the pile of brief cases.

Not able to help herself, she turned to her mother who stood there in a stunned silence. She gave the woman her trademark smirk and crossed her arms. The woman didn't waste any time in leaving the room in a rush, she wanted no part in what was about to happen.

After placing everything into giant Wendy's hand Dipper closed the window. He turned to the confused blond and gave her a smile.

"Aren't we going?" Pacifica asked, confused by his action. "Aren't we leaving?"

"We are." Dipper answered with a smile. "Through the front gate."

Against her better judgement, Pacifica led him through the maze that was her home towards the main hall where the party was being held. Just a bunch of rich people trying to show off their wealth and make connections to increase what they had. No one there would call the others friend, just opportunity.

"Hello Mr. North-West." Dipper called over the crowd.

Preston turned to the one who called him and nearly shouted at the sight of the boy he hated. Instead he held his tongue and turned an interesting shade of red from the anger, trying not to cause a scene in front of so many important people.

"H-Hi dad." Pacifica spoke nervously from behind his back.

"What a lovely party you have going on." Dipper stated.

"How did you get in here!?" Preston demanded. The rich man looked around to see if anyone noticed the obviously underclass child, if they had they didn't mention it.

"I came to tell you, to your face, that I'm taking Pacifica." Dipper stated as he crossed his arm.

Preston looked at the child who had the courage or stupidity to say such a thing to his face. He couldn't help but give the child a clap and a chuckle, no matter how sarcastic it was.

"And how do you plan to accomplish that!?" He asked with his own arms crossed.

Dipper looked at Tambry and nodded, that was the signal. The teen pulled out a second cell and hit the send button. She gave him a thumbs up, it was done.

Dipper pulled Pacifica closer, causing her to blush, not that he noticed. He held up hand and began dropping the fingers 4...3...2...1. The entire mansion began to shake and tremble from some unseen force. Things began to fall over and shatter from their unsecured positions. Then cracks began to spread around the walls and pieces of it began falling away in chunks. As the pressure increased, the walls began to bend and snap before finally giving.

Everyone watched in awe and horror as instead of being crushed, the upper part of the mansion was torn away. It revealed the night sky and a giant red-headed teen staring back at them.

"Did I crush anyone?" Wendy asked as she looked at the cowering folks.

"No." Dipper answered.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Preston demanded to the boy.

Dipper turned and looked at the wealthy man with a cold smile.

"I came into your home and twice, and I've ruined your hold on your legacy twice. All in all, I beat you twice." Dipper stated loudly enough to draw the wealthy people's attention. "That means I'm better than you." He motioned to the terrified occupants in the room. "They all know it and soon the world will know it." He motioned to Tambry, who was recording everything.

Preston paled, if that video got out then it would be all over for him. Once on the internet, it was there forever. He'd be the laughing stock of all the richest people out there! Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a checkbook and began writing out a large number.

"Fifty grand for you to delete the recording." Preston stated.

"Go ahead, delete it." Dipper stated with a shrug. The video wasn't important.

Preston was red with rage. "You've made an enemy Mr. Pines."

"No, I've ended one." Dipper stated proudly. "Every time somebody tells this story, and they'll all say they won't tell it, but they will tell of your downfall- that's the story that will be told, again and again until you're dead... and after you're dead. I Dipper Pines, a twelve year old boy who's only known you for part of a Summer beat you. I beat you forever."

Preston was ready to attack Dipper, but a breaking sound stopped him. Looking up, he saw Wendy cracking her knuckles, warning him not to take a step further.

"What do you want from me?" Preston practically hissed.

"You hurt my friend, I ruined your family name." Dipper stated just low enough for Preston to hear. "Don't cross me further, because I can do worse." He grabbed the wealthy man's hand into his and shook it. "That's not a promise, that's a deal."

Magic wasn't needed for this. Dipper knew it and he was sure Preston could figure it out. So with his part said, Dipper walked out of the destroyed mansion with Pacifica by his side. No one so much as considering stopping them.

* * *

"Dipper that was stupid and amazing!" Pacifica stated as she hugged him.

"And it was weird." Tambry stated. "Guess that's the end of our deal."

"And the rest of the deals?" Dipper asked.

Nate and Lee both held up a backpack each, before one handed one to Dipper.

"What happened Dipper?" Pacifica asked, confused.

"I made a deal that I kept." Dipper stated. "And this is the spoils of it all."

Lee opened the bag to reveal valuable items. Money, golden trinkets and gems encrusted jewelry. In the chaos of the mansion being destroyed, no one noticed two teens grabbing stuff here and there.

"I would have tried to get more, but I didn't want to have the place come down on me." Lee stated as he handed Dipper the bag.

"I don't trust them not to do anything, even with the warning, so I know that you'd need this." Dipper spoke as he handed the bag to Pacifica.

Pacifica looked at the contents in the bag, a fortune really. Practically enough for one to start a new life. And he was just giving it to her, because he wanted to help her. Not because he wanted something in return, but because he genuinely worried _for_ her.

"We need this, partner." She spoke.

* * *

Once Dipper entered the living room of the shack, he was greeted with an...interesting sight. A bruised Ford was laying on the couch with a pack of ice on his butt. A ten foot tall bruised and blue skinned Stan was reclined, still in his suite, which was torn and in several places. The weirdest thing about it was they were smiling.

 _Looks like Mabel kept her end of the deal._ He though happily. He looked to his sister and saw that she was the only one not smiling, he'd have to look into that.

He coughed to gain their attention. A frown actually appeared on Mabel's face once she looked at him.

"This is Pacifica, you're all familiar with her." Dipper stated, earning a nod from them.

"Hi." The usually snooty girl greeted shyly.

"She will be staying with us until further notice. " Dipper stated. He pointed to Stan with the check in his hand. "This is a bunch of valuables from Preston North-West that I've...acquired, all yours. Consider it payment for for her room and board. No questions asked." He pointed to Ford. "I will be returning to my lessons, no questions asked." To Mabel. "I will answer all of your questions once you've helped Pacifica get settled, I hope you don't mind sharing a room with her."

"Slumber party!" Mabel shouted as she dragged Pacifica up to the attic

Dipper smiled as he watched his sister and friend rush up to the attic. It seemed whatever was bothering her was forgotten. He would have followed them, if not for Ford placing a hand on him to hold him.

"I won't question the girl, but I do have one." Ford stated. "What deal did you make?"

"Which ones?" Dipper asked.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the question, it was clearly telling him that their had been multiple deals. The elder twin sighed as he released the boy. He'd have to get more answers out of him during the lessons. Until then, he and his brother had some catching up to do.

* * *

Dipper made his way up to the attic and saw his sister standing there with her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

"First question." Mabel stated, somewhere between sad and angry. "What's with these deals with Bill!?"

 **Review**

 **Next chapter we find out what Mabel and the Stan's did! And how the deal was revealed.**

 **POLLS!** **I HAVE MADE A VOTING POLLS FOR A POKEMON STORY, CHECK IT OUT AND VOTE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.**

 **Also, posting a vampire Dipper fic! A _REAL_ vampire fic, like we love. Not like Vampire Diaries! Not like Twilight! Not like any of these modern abominations. I mean a REAL vampire that stayed in the shadows and drunk blood for life and pleasure. Dipper now has to cope after being bitten, to save his unknowing sister, under the tutelage of the one who did so, if he doesn't break. ****Dipper harem. Who wants to see it?**


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own 'Gravity Falls'

 **Brothers unite**

"Alright Dip Dop, see you when the brothers unite." Mabel stated as she dragged the elder twins away.

Ford and Stan looked at each other before looking away. Obviously they were reluctant to be here at the moment.

"So, how'd she get you?" Stan asked his twin.

"She guilt tripped me." Ford admitted. "You?"

"She offered me the one thing I couldn't resist." Stan answered. "Money."

"Don't forget the blackmail I have on both of you." Mabel stated sweetly.

Both brothers looked away from each other, ashamed and embarrassed by their situation. Though they were a little curious as to what she had on the other.

"So what're we doing?" Stan asked, trying to change the topic.

* * *

The Pines trio made their way towards the toughest place in Gravity Falls, outside of the woods of course. It was the bar Mabel and Dipper had went to when they were searching for the wax murderer.

"Hello Mabel." The bouncer greeted with a smile.

"Hey, just me and some friends." Mabel returned with a wide smile.

She held up a card with some useless information that was supposed to pass her off as legal. The bouncer looked at the card before giving her a wink and allowing her inside. Mabel winked back before motioning for her Grunkles to follow her.

"You have a fake I.D?" Ford asked incredulously.

"Mable, you do this Grunkle proud." Stan stated with a smile.

They entered the sleazy bar to see many tough and shady looking people. Ford's hand began reaching for his laser pistol while Stan placed his hands in his pockets for his brass knuckles.

"Hi everybody!" Mabel greeted happily.

"Hi Mabel!" Most of the patrons greeted just as happily.

The adult twins looked at the interaction with a raised eyebrow each. Mabel made her way towards the bar, happily skipping over the 'sleeping' people who laid on the ground. Sitting on the stool, she spun to greet the bartender. The Stan's followed silently.

"Hey, I'll have the usual." Mabel greeted.

With a nod, the bartender slid a half-full glass of a clear liquid towards the girl. Once settled, he pulled out a sac and began pouring a brown powder into six shot glasses.

Mabel picked up the first glass, but was stopped when Stan grabbed her wrist.

"It seems even I have a limit on the amount of shadiness I can allow." Stan stated. "And I can't let my niece to do...whatever this is." He stated, motioning to the table. "I on the other hand." Stan proceeded to down all six glasses of the brown powder and washed it down with the liquid. "That went down pretty easily, when does it kick in?" Stan asked.

"Kick in?" Mabel asked nervously. "I'd say in about...4...3...2-"

"I have to dance!" Stan shouted as he ripped his shirt open.

Mabel and Ford watched as Stan ran to the center of the room and began to 'bust a move' while trying not to bust his hip. Strangely enough, no one paid attention to the man's strange action.

"What was in that?" Ford asked curiously.

"Glucose mixed with raw sugar." Mabel answered as she watched her Grunkle dance. "A sugar rush in it's purest form."

"How long until he...crashes."

"I can live forever!" Stan shouted. Just before he fell face first onto the ground.

"Now!" Mabel answered.

The twin sighed at his brother's display before making his way to his still form. Lifting him over his shoulder, he placed him onto the stool before shaking his head.

"Well at least this way I can gather some information from the people here without any interruptions." Ford stated, making Mabel frown.

"Maybe Stan can help us." Mabel offered.

"Unless it involves lying, I doubt he'd be of any use."

Mabel's frown deepened at her Grunkle's words about his brother. He wasn't even trying to bond.

 _This may be harder than I thought._ She realized.

Mabel sat at the stool with her recovering Grunkle as Ford went from person to person, asking about something she didn't understand. Eventually, he decided to call it off. However, before they could make it to the door, someone spoke up.

"I know where it is." A voice from the back called.

The three Pines turned to see a mysterious figure hidden in the shadows, covered by a cloak.

"I don't want something as trivial as money." The mystery figure spoke. "I want something...precious."

"I see where this is going." Stan stated as he pulled out his wallet. "Here you go."

Instead of handing the mysterious man money, he handed him a picture. The mysterious man took one look at the picture and recoiled.

"Wh-what is this?"

"That is a picture of me...sitting on the couch...eating a ham sandwich...in my undies." Stan stated. "This picture earned me a spot in silver fox magazine, beating Master Roshi of Dbz and Monkey D. Garp of One Piece. I came in second only to Uncle Iroh of Avatar."

There was a moment of silence as they processed what had happened. Mabel looked a little green as the image was now burned into her head. Ford looked both disappointed and offended, seeing as he was twins, their bodies were similar. It might as well have been a fatter him in that picture.

"How recent is-"

"Very." Stan stated. "It's very recent."

"...That's not...what I...had...in...mind." The mystery man stated before regaining his composure. "What I want is a simple game. If you win, I'll tell you all I know about the tree." The mystery man stated. "If I win, then I get one of your souls." He stated ominously. "AndIgettokeepthepicture!" He added too quickly for the Pines to make out. "Do we have a deal?"

"Agreed." Mabel spoke.

"WAIT, did you say-"

"Excellent!" The mystery man spoke. "Let's begin!"

The mysterious man waved to the barkeep to bring them a wine glass. It was filled with water, as if this had been something done time and again.

"What's this?" Ford asked suspiciously.

"The challenge." The mysterious person stated. "We both drop pennies into the glasses and the first to spill it loses. If you win then you get the information. If I win, I get your souls. And the picture."

The mystery man made the first move, gently dropping three pennies in. There was plenty of room in the glass to go.

"My turn!" Mabel shouted before her elders could act.

Mabel, thinking that if she was brave, she could win the game. She dropped five pennies in at once. The water splashed wildly as the coins settled to the bottom of the glass.

"I win." The mysterious man stated.

Mabel suddenly felt cold as she collapsed, her eyes blank.

"Mabel!" Stan shouted.

"What happened!?" Ford demanded. "She had plenty of room left in the container!"

"That is true." The man agreed. "However, the splash caused the water to spill. Meaning, she lost."

"Clever." Ford grumbled. "Using word play to win. Reminds me of someone." He stated as his eyes narrowed.

"Don't praise the man!" Stan snapped. "We need to save our niece!"

"Relax Stan, I plan to win Mabel's soul back." The genius stated as he sat down.

He looked at the glass of water and saw that it was almost full, but still had enough room for a few more coins. Ford new what Mabel's plan was, and agreed with it, but unlike her, he wasn't reckless.

Carefully, he dropped two pennies into the glass, bringing the drink towards the rim.

There we go. Ford thought, proud of himself. _One more and the water will overflow._

"My turn."

To their horror, the man dropped in a single penny, but the water didn't over flow. It shimmered slightly, but held it's spot.

 _Th-There's no way to win._ Ford stated. _I can't add any more pennies! I've lost._

"Did you know that accepting defeat in the mind is the same as losing?" The mystery man asked.

Ford's body shook slightly before he collapsed, his soul gone.

The man emptied the wine glasses before turning his attention to Stan.

"Shall we play?" He asked.

Stan was uneasy, no, he was terrified.. He was a conman and knew when he was in trouble, this was one of those times. This mystery man had the souls of his twin and niece and he didn't know if he could save one, let lone both. He'd do anything to save them.

That was his last thought before he collapsed, a strange laughter echoing in his mind.

Stan's body raised up and looked the mysterious man in the eyes. Only it was no longer Stan's eyes, it was a pair of yellow orbs with cat like pupils.

"Man-o-man, it's good to have a body again." _Stan_ stated. "Didn't even need to make a deal to get in here." He turned his attention to the mystery man. "Did you know, some rules could be bent if it helped you fulfill a deal. Like possessing a man because you have deal to protect a girl."

"Who...are you?" The mystery man asked, confused an terrified of what was happening.

"Me?" _Stan_ asked. "I'm the guy that's going to tell a jokes."

"Tell a jokes?" The mystery man questioned.

"A joke?" _Stan_ asked, as if it were ridiculous. "We're in a strange event after you've stolen souls and you're asking about a joke?" _Stan_ exclaimed before looking at his watch. "Well I guess I have time for one joke." He reasoned with a creepy smile. "Why did the shady man in the bar say _oooha_ , before begging for mercy?"

"...What?"

"Because it's the sound he makes when his man bits are in a vice-grip before he releases the souls?"

"...What-oooha!"

* * *

"Oh, man, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel exclaimed in wonder. "What is this place?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Mabel." Ford stated with a smile. "It's known 35-C, a faction created by some of the creatures in this forest, and it's got the perfect climate conditions for a special type of tree! It's called a mega tree, and there's fruit in those trees, and there's seeds in those fruits. I'm talking about mega seeds. They're incredibly powerful, and I need them to help me with my research."

Stan looked around uneasily, not sharing his families enthusiasm.

"Ford." Stan called. "I'm looking around this place, and I'm starting to work up some anxiety about this whole thing. Or a leftover feeling from that bar...incident."

The trio paused, they still had no idea of how Stan saved them from the mystery man. All they know is that they were banned for life now. They could only thank their lucky stars.

"Listen to me, Mabel. I know that new situations can be intimidating." Ford stated, motioning to the forest. "You're looking around, and it's all scary and different, but, you know, meeting them head on, charging right into them like a bull that's how we grow as people.

"I'm no stranger to scary situations!" Mabel stated proudly. "Dipper and I deal with them all the time."

"Good." Ford stated happily. "Now, if you just stick with me, Mabel, we're gonna be-"

A gigantic alien monster suddenly appears behind them. It looked to be more shadows than anything, sucking in the light and any feeling of happiness.

"RUN!" Ford shouted, terrified, as he stood up and ran in a random direction. Stan and Mabel took off behind him, running in complete and total fear as the monster chases them. "I never seen that thing before in my life! I don't even know what it is! We got to get out of here! It's gonna kill us! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

Fifteen minutes later and a brilliant plan made up on the spot, the Pines found themselves safe and sound in another clearing.

"Oh, Mabel, take a deep breath." Ford stated as he inhaled the forest air. "Breathe that fresh air in. You smell that? That's the smell of adventure. That's that's the smell of a whole different evolutionary process at work."  
Stan rolled his eyes at his brother's nerdiness.

"All right, poindexter." Stan spoke up. "How much longer is this gonna be? Shouldn't I be back to scamming people by now?"

"Are you joking me?" Ford asked in frustration. "I mean, look at all the crazy crap surrounding us! Look at that thing right there!"

Stan and Mabel turned to see whatever Ford was talking about, and tilted their head in confusion. They had no idea what they were looking at.

The creature had an odd grey-ish body that seemed to be made up of mostly it's dace. It was balanced with a single leg and foot that was twice as thick and long as the average human's. It had magenta hair and two elongated eyes, that seemed to curl, with pink pupils and a pair of feet on top of their head.

"What is that thing!?" Ford demanded, trying to get his brother to understand. "You think you're gonna see that kind of thing at in one of your crazy merchandise?" He pointed to the creature. "Look at it just lumbering around. It defies all logic, that thing."

"Yeah, Ford, I get it." Stan sighed. "We're surrounded by monsters. That's kind of the reason why I want to leave."

Mabel watched them go back and forth and frowned. She new Dipper was counting on her, and honestly, she was counting on her too. These two are-were so much like Dipper and her, she hated the idea that this could be their future. She had to get these brothers back together, just so that there was hope for her and her brother.

"Monster?" A voice echoed. All eyes turned to the strange creature. "I sit here peacefully and you intrude upon me and call me a monster! Such an insult shall not stand!"

"I believe this is the time I start running for my life! Stan stated before turning, only to collide with a tree.

Ford looked at his brother, only to shake his head in disappointment.

"I apologize for my brother's transgressions." Ford spoke diplomatically. "He doesn't understand the unity in the difference of life."

"You are the wiser of the two." The creature spoke. "I offer you one of two choices. The first is that I allow you to join us. Join us as we leave behind our physical bodies and explore the universe for an eternity of wonder and discovery."

Ford chocked as he heard that. It was a dream come true for a person such as him. To experience wonder and understanding until the end of time.

"I would love to!" Ford exclaimed.

"What!?" Mabel asked in shock. "Grunkle Ford, you can't really mean that, can you?"

Ford knelt down to her level. "Mabel, please try to understand what he's offering."

"But...you'd be abandoning your family." She whimpered.

"Let it go Mabel." Stan sighed. "This is nothing new for him."

Ford turned to snap at his brother for his lack of understanding, but paused when he saw him. His brother was already walking away, his head down in acceptance of his brother's choice. He never really noticed, but his brother looked pretty...old. As Ford looked at his brother, Dipper's words playing over in his mind.

 _"You turned on your brother, your twin brother, when he needed you most."_

 _"...he stood up for you..."_

 _"What did you do for him in return? You turned your back on him. Never checked on him. Called him up when you needed him and then try to get rid of him, then blame him all over again."_

Ford watched as his brother walked away, seemingly defeated.

It finally dawned on Ford, what his brother did for him. All those years, trying to find him, trying to save him. Now Ford was leaving again.

"Thank you." Ford stated. "But I can't."

"Then option two it is."

"What's option two?" Mabel asked.

The creature began to levitate into the air and glow an ominous green.

"Your mind shall be destroyed and your bodies used as nourishment."

Ford acted first, he pulled out his laser and fired a few rounds at the beast. On impact, the creature shouted in pain and the damage done. But it seemed to only anger the creature more than truly hurt it.

The beast let loose a green blast of it's own, knocking the twins back. They fell into an unconscious heap.

The creature turned to Mabel. She was enveloped in the greenish glow and raised from the ground towards it. It opened it's mouth and she saw row after row of it's razor sharp teeth.

"You shall be the first to provide sustenance."

 _This is it!_ Mabel thought. _This is how I'm going out! It's exactly how I imagined it! Just less glitter._

"With my last breath, I curse Soos!" Mabel cried.

The energetic twin closed her eyes as she awaited her end. There was a loud cry of pain before she fell to the ground.

Once she opened her eyes, she was greeted with a large single eye, covered by a triangle.

"Heya Shooting Star." Bill greeted as he removed his hat and bowed. "Did you miss me?"

"Evil Acute Triangle!" Mabel shouted as she swung at the dream demon. Though her fist passed through him harmlessly.

"I heard the word cute in there!" Bill stated in a sing-song tone while waving a finger. "If only you were a four thousand years crazier."

"What do you want you nutjob?" Mabel demanded.

"Relax, I'm just holding up my end of a deal." Bill stated as he brushed off his hat. "You know, the one your brother made to keep you safe."

He motioned to the creature that laid on the ground, drooling as it gazed into nothingness. It's mind having been shattered by the dream demon.

"Dipper made a deal?" Mabel asked.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Bill asked. "Oh well. My work here is done. Tell Pine Tree I said he has a big head!"With that, he vanished in a puff of clouds.

Before she could contemplate on his words, Mabel's Grunkles began stirring. She ran to their side to see if they needed any help.

"Uh, what happened?" Stan asked. "Did I drink more of that stuff?"

"No, you were almost eaten by another monster." Mabel answered. "Just another day in the life of the Pines family." Mabel looked to see that the sun was setting. "Well, that's enough adventure for one day." Mabel stated. "I say we go home and never question the last three minutes again."

"Actually...I was wondering if Stan would like to explore a little more, with me." Ford offered.

Stan couldn't believe what he was hearing. _Either I was knocked into a delusional coma, or Ford is reaching out to me._ Stan thought. _Either way, I'm taking it._

"Sure." Stan stated as he stood. "Maybe we could find a few things to add to the Mystery Shack."

"So, brothers unite?" Mabel asked with a widening smile.

"High Six?" Ford asked as he raised a hand.

"High Six." Stan stated as he clasped his hand onto his brother's.

"Yes, brothers united!" Mabel cheered. _Now to unite my fist with my brother's head._

 **Review**

 **Sorry for the wait, hope it was worth it.**


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